Season 7
by NE8675309
Summary: It has been almost 3 months since Annie left for her internship and weeks since she has reached out to her friends back home, leaving Jeff completely restless. Has absence made the heart grow fonder or forgetful? Sequel to Saying Goodbye Trilogy.
1. Coming Home?

***A/N - Hello boys, girls and everyone in between. It feels like forever since I last posted. I am so thrilled to finally have this one finished. Completing this has seemed impossible for the past 5+ months. So many distractions: new fandoms (and subsequent OTPs), the holidays, and of course, my shameful infidelity with other fics (which I will be posting in the near future). This will be my last Milady/Milord fic for a little while as my other OTPs are screaming in my ear for a little attention. Although I love writing Jeff and Annie, I think if I don't give myself a breather, all these stories will start to run together. This fic became a lot longer than I planned at a hefty 9 chapters. I originally wanted a brief 30 or so pages and somehow ended up with 70. I will be posting a new chapter every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I hope you enjoy it. As always, sorry for the long rant and please R &R, it is ridiculously appreciated. Thank you. - Nikki**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1: COMING HOME?**

"Do you ever wonder why we never did it?" Jeff slumped, taking a sip of his scotch, clasping his hands together stretching them beyond the width of the bar. It was a surprisingly slow Saturday night at The Vatican. The microwaved August air was stagnant enough to inspire discomfort in a man of Jeff's age, though he remembered a younger time, when the low simmering heat felt welcomed.

"Did what?" Britta gulped her drink beside him.

"Tied the knot."

She choked. "Ugh, Dick. That burns, you know." She wiped at the alcohol in her nose. He wasn't looking at her and seemed unsurprised by her shock. She sighed. "Which time?"

He shrugged, still not looking at her. "Most recent, I guess."

"Hmm." She nodded and answered. "No, I don't wonder."

"Why not? I mean, it almost makes sense. You and I are fixed points in each other's lives, we're friends and we have been able to juggle a physical relationship." Britta scoffed. "It seems like it could possibly make some semblance of sense."

She knew what this was about. The summer was practically over; the semester had just ended and the start of the 3 week break stretched in front of him. Any distraction he relied on before was officially gone. They hadn't heard from Annie in weeks. Neither one of them was sure she was coming back. "Maybe because we don't love each other."

Jeff scoffed. "Love seems like a gamble to wait out for, don't you think?"

Britta spoke quietly. "No, it's real." She had experienced it, once or twice. It was nothing like what she could expect from Winger. It was worth the gamble.

He looked at her and nodded. "Okay, so say love is real; maybe it's just a chemical reaction we have for people that we know we can't." He sighed.

Britta allowed herself a small nod. This was definitely about Annie. She might not have been there for whatever had been said in the study room that night, but she knew something had been acknowledged. "Maybe we only fall in love when we don't shy away from the obstacles and sacrifices. That's how we know it's real, because it's worth all the bullshit."

Jeff nodded, unable to admit that she was almost profound; which seemed conditional to being about 4 drinks deep. "Love aside, why not just settle down with someone you're comfortable with?"

She patted his back. "Because it would be safe, boring and the wrong kind of miserable."

He laughed sourly. "Is there a right kind of miserable?"

She exhaled, exasperated. "Duh doy." Turning her body, she sat on top of one of her crossed ankles, straightening her back and speaking animatedly. "For instance, you and I are the wrong kind. We purposefully bug the shit out of each other, but don't care enough to actually argue about the things that matter. We would hypothetically be content if we stayed together, because we don't challenge each other, so we'd never really get in each other's way. We would literally be settling, because it would be too easy to stay. It doesn't matter to us, so we don't get invested. Right?"

He nodded, trying to keep up with her drunken, yet somehow still intelligible logic. "Boring, safe and the wrong kind of miserable." She cleared her throat, changing her tone ever-so-slightly. "Say we pair you off with someone else, some random woman neither of us knows." Their eyes met, but Britta quickly continued. "Say things were vastly different. More chemistry, connection and differing ideals; maybe you're also good friends – I don't know, who's to say in this purely hypothetical scenario." Jeff shook his head, astounded by the notion that in all the time he had known her, she had not come to grasp even a hint of subtlety. "You both argue a lot, because you feel too much for things to be lukewarm. She believes in you, encourages and even scolds you. You teach her to grow, live in the moment and let the small things go. You help each other mature and try to become better people. You both care genuinely when you disagree, so some fights may come down to shouting matches, but you can never leave it unsettled too long for that exact reason, you care and it really matters. So you're either on cloud nine or you're miserable, but the right kind of miserable, temporary and indicative of how deep the feeling goes and how sometimes opposites really do attract."

She smiled. "You and I could never work because we can be just about anything to each other and our dynamic would never change. It's supposed to change. You don't marry someone as a consolation prize."

"You are aware that you possess absolutely no subtlety, right?" He tried to shrug off the main topic, not sure that he could talk openly about his obvious and yet somehow simultaneously unspoken feelings for Annie. Teasing Britta in the moment was one of the few comforts he easily clung to.

She shrugged her shoulders loosely with belligerent grandeur, as if the liquor had profusely oiled her joints. "Eh, subtlety is only a tool for the secretive or the clever. I, being neither, have no use for it."

Jeff smiled and gave a half-chuckle at the self-imposed compliment masquerading as self-deprecation. Britta thought far too highly of herself to imply anything she deemed disparaging. "Speaking of deflective segues…" She offered and he felt himself shrink at the start of a topic he wanted desperately to inwardly dwell on and outwardly avoid. She cleared her throat after sipping her drink.

"You know Annie is the only number in your phone with a specialized ringtone."

"Come again?"

"I noticed it a couple of months ago. At first, I thought it was something she made you do, but then I realized that you did it on your own out of convenience so you would know it was her the second it rang."

It was a completely ludicrous, half-assed observation that left him feeling exposed and embarrassed. "That's ridiculous." He tried to counter nonchalantly.

"Has your phone ever gone to voicemail for Annie?" There was a pause. "It went to voicemail for me, Abed, Shirley, but never for Annie."

"And?"

"That matters, Jeff. I have seen you immediately stop talking to an attractive waitress and answer your phone by the second ring when Annie called." She shook her head with a soft smile. "Anyone with 2 eyes and half a brain can see the difference."

Jeff pondered in silence, gulping his scotch down and suddenly feeling like a pre-teen boy mortified that his friends could tell he had a crush on somebody. He reached across the bar refilling his glass. "Put it on my tab."

"I'll let Willy know." Britta nodded in the direction of the bathroom where her co-worker had gone.

"I thought we had this unspoken rule where we didn't talk about this." He muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his index finger.

"Yeah, it was fun, wasn't it?" She said with no trace of the feeling, leaving Jeff's stomach to clench. "But Summer is almost over and I don't know about you, but my 'specialized' ringtone has been pretty quiet. You?" The silence was all the reply she needed. "Soon you're going to have to figure out what you're going to do about it."

The grainy and static quiet prodded at him for a second before he loudly declared. "I am not drunk enough for this conversation. This…" he gestured to his chest. "Is a level of clearance, you have not been permitted to."

"What's it gonna take?"

"One word: Blackout."

Britta shook her head and looked at the approaching Willy. She gestured for more. "So help me, I'm going to therapize you, you son of a bitch. Even if it kills me." At least she didn't have work tomorrow.

"That seems a healthy and ethical attitude." Jeff gulped down his glass as if it were nothing.

Britta followed suit, a little for solidarity, but mostly because she liked having a drinking buddy who could keep her pace. "Shut up."

* * *

Jeff woke up alone; with an ache all over … well, everywhere. He begrudgingly opened one eye a crack and was momentarily thrown from any sense of equilibrium. It took him a second to realize that he was somewhere vaguely familiar; a room he had seen once or twice tucked away in an apartment that had become a second home to him. He groaned. "Over 40 is too old for a blackout." It honestly felt more like 'lights out', as if a few more of these would be enough to bury him 6 feet under.

He lifted his head very slowly, not exactly seeing the light as it flowed in, but feeling lilac stained streams of sunlight pouring on his face and sealed eyelids; a sensation that sounded pleasant enough, but felt like the seventh circle of hell in that particular moment. He gave a shallow breath, involving as little of his body as humanly possible.

His eyes finally opened and he remembered where he was; Annie's abandoned room, surrounded by trapped muted tones of her personality, lacking all of her presence. "What the hell?" He moaned, grasping at his bearings.

He heard a similar groan outside the door and looked to see Britta dragging her feet from her room down the hall in pursuit of the kitchen. "Stop yelling, Dick!"

"Ugh, why am I here?"

"Because wishes do come true." She said snidely and stretched her arms above her head, immediately regretting the movement as her stomach lurched to her throat.

"No, I mean how did I make it this far? I can't believe I didn't drop on the floor beside the front door."

"I can assure you, I offered no assistance." She continued inching her way to her destination.

Jeff stood very slowly and followed, wishing he could evaporate out of his own skin. He didn't allow himself another look around the room that was the shell of its resident. "I figured."

Britta entered the kitchen and began brewing some coffee. Jeff sat on a stool and leaned onto the countertop separating the kitchen from the living room, keeping one palm to his forehead; sure that the pressure he applied kept its contents in one piece. "Did I do anything crazy last night, like get a tattoo?" Everything during the booze binge, except for the Uber ride home, was fuzzy. He noticed his phone beside him and unplugged it from his charger, thankful to see his wallet and keys beside it.

Britta had her head resting in the one clean side of the sink, letting her face be soothed by the cold metal; when it proved to be lacking in relief, she turned a small, frigid stream of water on her face. "How the hell would I know? I was drowning in alcohol, same as you." She turned off the water and stood motionless. "You know what pisses me off?"

"Fiscal responsibility?"

"Shut up." She muttered. "Douche. I could've completely healed you last night and I wouldn't remember."

"I know." Jeff gave a half-grin, feeling self-satisfied. "Why do you think I bet you couldn't take those shots of tequila?"

Britta hung her head, suddenly defeated. The whole reason she had forced the night was to get him to open up, using the psychology she'd been heavily studying. Somehow the night had turned on her; she had lost to an amateur, albeit a professional asshole who used reverse psychology on her. Scoffing, she wondered if this qualified as irony. "Fine. Enjoy being emotionally constipated. I hope you get hemorrhoids."

His brow scrunched. "Emotional hemorrhoids?"

"Those too." She nodded.

He laughed breathily, unable to exert any extra energy from his dwindling supply. He sipped some coffee. "There is nothing to heal. Don't be so nosy, Parker Posie."

"Really dating yourself with that one." Britta murmured.

"Shut up." He scowled. "I miss our friends, that is it. You don't need to make a big production for something perfectly normal."

"Mmm hmm." She nodded, the arch of her brow proving how unconvinced she was.

"Just stop reading into things."

Her eyes narrowed. "I like drunk you better."

"The feeling is mutual." His left thumb and index finger cradled the bridge of his nose. "By the way, you might want to redecorate a little." He just barely nudged his head in the direction of Annie's old room.

"Why?"

"Troy's going to be back in a week. This is still technically his apartment."

Britta shrugged. "And he's about to become a millionaire. I doubt he'll stay, but if he does, I'm sure he can learn to stomach some purple drapes and a few decorative flower pillows; because 'technically' that is still Annie's room until she says otherwise. Summer isn't over just yet." She said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"That should be interesting." He deflected Britta's hopeless hopefulness.

"What?"

"You and Troy living together, as exes."

She smirked at the sad attempt for a subject change. "Oh, please. Troy and I are barely exes. Even if we are, we're friends first; we always have been. Our relationship was short, calm and ended amicably. I think we would be great roommates." Her tone became patronizing. "Sometimes people view others as more than just a conquest or a notch in their bedpost."

Jeff glared at her. "I'm not like that." Usually he would've laughed off the accusation, but things had felt vastly different and he had become more defensive since the night he had really said goodbye to Annie.

"You're right, my bad. I'm mistaking you for some other shallow, narcissistic and selfish man-whore named Jeff Winger."

"Hey, I have grown. I'm not that same guy anymore."

"What changed?" She pushed.

There was a heavy silence for a moment, before Jeff shrugged, deciding to play nonchalant. "I have the least glamorous job, I've eased up on the time-consuming self-grooming and I don't sleep around anymore." He shook his head and then quickly groaned as the aftershocks of the movement birthed a concentrated queasiness.

"So you're claiming to be a better man, because circumstances have forced you to grow up?" There was a sour humor in her voice, disbelieving he could take credit for the things out of his control.

"Not a better man." Not yet. "Just a different man."

She watched him for an eerily charged minute. "Maybe." Her voice sounded foreign and surprisingly mature to him.

"Ugh. Are you going to try and diagnose me?"

She laughed. "How much time do you have?"

"Okay, I'm leaving." He grabbed his phone, wallet and keys. "Thanks for the blackout."

"Don't forget that I let you stay here!" She called to his retreating back.

He opened the door and turned to look at her. "Don't forget who paid for the Uber!" He grinned and shut the door behind him. It wasn't the issue of diagnosis that prompted his departure, but his desire to stop talking about Annie. It had been weeks since she had last called them. He didn't want to have to pretend that he knew she was coming back. The silence almost felt like confirmation to him, whether he wanted to interpret it that way or not.

* * *

Annie Edison walked out into the airport terminal, her bag rolling directly behind her as her eyes swept across the building, seeing nothing and everything, fully observing and wholly unfocused. Countless people walked by, some saying goodbye, others reuniting and despite the silence greeting her specifically, she sighed with relief, thankful for her decision to keep her return quiet. There were many reasons for her choice, ranging from saving herself from the pressure to deal with a welcome enthusiastically while facing jetlag to saving her friends from the pressure of needing to welcome her enthusiastically, but the main reason for her not making such a big deal of coming home is because she knew it wasn't and even more so, she knew it was temporary.


	2. Girls' Night

**CHAPTER 2: GIRLS' NIGHT**

Annie stopped at a Starbucks inside the terminal and ordered a chai tea latte, sitting unrushed and alone. After the small reprieve of tranquility, she went outside into the cool summer night and hailed herself a cab, sending a group text alerting two of her friends that she was back. She was in the cab for two minutes before her phone chimed and she flinched at the sound. The reply was from Britta, so she sighed with relief. Her surrogate sister had the night off and demanded her immediate return, going as far as to extend a pick up. Annie quickly released her of the responsibility, letting her know she was already on her way.

It had been 20 minutes since she had sent the text and she wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or anxious that Jeff had yet to reply. They had left things so strangely and she wasn't sure how to move on from that. Three months had passed and she still remembered the feel of being pressed between silk and flesh, lying and writhing in his bed. Now that she was back, what was supposed to happen next? Better yet, what even could happen next? Three months had been enough to change her mind about quite a few things, but even in her vague memories, the boundless passion of that night had never been muted.

After she was dropped off at her old apartment, Annie braced herself, trying to paste on the right face, the right demeanor, the right version of herself for the night. She held down the buzzer and was greeted with Britta's palpable excitement. "I'm coming down!" She shouted.

Britta greeted her with a warm hug and Annie felt her attitude genuinely lighten. "I missed you." Although she offered to take her bag, Annie politely declined and carried it up the stairs.

"Okay, tell me everything!" Her friend demanded before the front door had shut behind them.

Annie immediately collapsed into the couch. "Let me breathe before the interrogation."

Britta scoffed and walked into the kitchen. As she peered inside the fridge, she spoke, her voice subdued by the cover of the fridge door. "I was going to offer you a drink, but I think all I've really got is beer."

"Beer works." She replied nonchalantly.

She heard Britta bump her head on the ceiling of the fridge as if she had climbed half way in. "Really?" She called out.

"Yeah." Annie sighed. "That actually sounds pretty good."

"Okay," the unsure reply sounded.

Britta came to sit on the couch beside her, handing her one of the two beers she held. "So, why didn't you let us know you were coming back? I thought for sure you would give a good heads up."

She exhaled. "I didn't want to make a big deal and things got so hectic I just kind of forgot."

Britta's eyes narrowed, because she knew that the overly neurotic Annie never 'kind of forgot' to do anything, ever.

The brunette set her purse down on the floor and took a sip from her beer. It was no Appletini, but it sure helped to cut into the tension leftover from air travel. As she settled into the couch, her phone rang. "I'm sorry, I have to take this." Annie headed into the bathroom for privacy.

Britta picked up her phone and barely had 2 minutes to scroll through her Facebook feed before the door buzzer sounded. "Britta!" Arrogance personified called out.

She hurried over to the door. "Where have you been?" She accused the buzzer on her wall.

"I left my phone charger here this morning." He sighed.

"I've been texting you for the past hour. A-"

"What part of 'I left my charger' are you not getting here?" Jeff replied, exasperated.

"I-"

"Are you going to let me up?"

She let out a frustrated noise that erupted as if caught between a huff and a groan. She buzzed him up without another word.

When he knocked she opened the door with a scowl. "Dick!"

He grinned snidely.

"I was trying to tell you something, A-"

"Oh, someone's here." He noticed the opened beer lounging on a coaster while leaning over to grab the forgotten charger. "I didn't know you had a date. Say no more. I'm gone."

"I haven't had a chance to say anything!" She whined.

"And you don't need to, I get it. I would totally intimidate any potential guy with my baffling handsomeness." He showed off his Winger grin. "This doesn't happen often for you, so I'll just get my gorgeous self out of your way."

As he turned, Britta threw her arms down, officially giving up, no longer keen on letting the jerk know Annie was there. Jeff heard the bathroom door open and turned at the sound, bound by reflex.

He froze as Annie stood looking back at him. The air in the room was missing in action as Jeff tried to inhale. Her hair had gotten longer and he had missed her more than he thought because the second he saw her, he was filled with such an idiotic happiness that he had to actively force away a smile. "Annie." Jeff wasn't sure if it was just him, but he swore her name echoed the second it left his mouth. "You're back."

"Yeah." Britta said beside him and he had honestly forgotten she was there. "That's why I texted you."

"Oh." He looked back to Annie and replied as if explaining to her, though she had yet to say anything. "My phone died. I had to come get my charger."

Annie nodded and the awkward silence filled all their lungs. He approached her hesitantly. Part of him wanted to kiss her; the other part was full of an instinct to pat her on the head. He quickly realized that neither would be right, so he went for a simple hug. He pulled away as soon as he could without drawing more attention to his strange behavior, trying to not remember the scent his body had been craving for months.

"I'll admit. I'm a little thrown." He offered.

"Good thing you admitted it, otherwise we'd never have known." Britta scoffed and continued; in love with seeing him so unraveled, ignoring his obvious scowl at her. "Actually, this is perfect timing. I was just in the middle of giving her a hard time for not letting us know she was coming." Jeff nodded in complete agreement with Britta.

Annie looked back at her. "I let you guys know I was here." Her voice sounded nearly the same, even nicer though, more melodic.

"That you were here, but not that you were coming." Britta sighed. "We would've had something set up for you." Jeff mutely nodded again.

"Which is why I didn't say anything." Annie exhaled. "I've only been gone for a few months. It's no big deal."

"Annie, it's a huge deal. You were interning with the FBI." Britta asserted and Jeff nodded once more, still silent, not sure if he trusted himself to speak.

"Okay, fine, you win. It's an incredibly colossal deal and I'm totally amazing." She said sarcastically. "Am I done being scolded with positivity and praise?" She smiled.

"Sure." Britta nodded. "In fact, for a change of pace, we can now get back to scolding you for keeping us in the dark." She nudged Jeff.

"Uh, yeah. You suck?" He tried, his brows lifting along with his inflection, too happy to see her again to possess any irritation to reprimand her.

"Nice backbone, Winger." Britta sneered.

"Well, I do the best I can when taking on a job that was clearly meant for Buzzkill Britta." He shot back.

She opened her mouth to retort, but Jeff held up his hand. "Although I'm dying to hear your intellectual and verbal evisceration of me right now, I'm sure that time could be spent more wisely, by say, I don't know, welcoming Annie back."

"Yeah, that's what I was doing until some narcissistic and vapid talking forehead interrupted us."

Jeff's eyes left Annie and narrowed at Britta. "You know what?" He practically growled, his emotions easily provoked by the surprise of her presence.

"Ooh, should I leave you two alone?" Annie joked, sounding like herself yet again acting as peacekeeper between the snarky bickerers.

They both turned on her at the same time. Britta's expression was undiluted disgust. "Ugh, not even if hell froze over, or if I even believed in hell."

Annie smiled at the guileless contempt with which Britta viewed the prospect of Jeff. The latter wore a much quieter and indistinguishable expression.

He couldn't disguise the worry on his face. It was a knee-jerk reaction, but the idea that Annie could think and joke about the possibility of him and Britta together; it bothered him, to say the least. He didn't want her to think that, but more importantly, he didn't want her to be okay with it.

"No, of course not!" He said simply in a soft volume, coated in a hard tone, completely dismissing the implication. He lifted his face to find Annie watching him. Jeff quickly looked away, suddenly feeling exposed to her unnervingly focused gaze.

"So what did you have planned?"

"Obviously nothing since I had no time to plan." Britta scoffed.

"Well, duh. I knew as much." He sighed and shook his head. "I was asking what you guys were thinking of doing? We could go to The Vatican or maybe The Red Door?" He raised his brows playfully. "If you want, we can get real wild and 'brown bag' it at Greendale. Summer Semester is over, but I know a guy who can get us in." He smirked devilishly and lifted his key ring, causing Annie to laugh lightly.

Britta noticed Jeff's chumminess and interrupted it. "How in the hell do you have the key?"

Jeff tilted his head and gave her a look intended to make her feel stupid. The Dean had probably given Jeff a key to his apartment as well. She scoffed. "Talk about an abuse of power."

"Hey, I have no power, so how can I be abusing it?"

"I'm talking about The Dean."

"That goes without saying."

"Unfortunately for you though, you weren't invited."

Annie and Jeff both looked back to Britta. "Come again?"

The blonde shrugged. "Girls' Night, Jeff."

"You said you had no plans."

"I didn't, but I figure since I didn't get to see Annie off and since she came here first, it's only fair. You can come back tomorrow for dinner or something, but I call dibs on tonight."

Jeff couldn't help but feel like Britta was putting him on 'Annie Restriction'. He didn't want to take it lying down, so he looked at Annie, who happened to be looking at Britta. "That sounds fun. We haven't had a Girls' Night in so long."

He had to bite down what would've surely been an agape and somewhat offended expression. Even knowing it was ridiculous to feel at all betrayed, he couldn't fight it off. "Maybe when Troy comes back, I'll take him out for a Boys' Night." He antagonized.

Unfazed by the threat, Annie cooed. "Oh, when's he coming back?"

Jeff sweetly smiled at her. "Later this week."

Ignoring the overjoyed interaction, Britta barked out. "The hell you will!" She began nudging Jeff towards the door, more determined than ever to kick him out and corner Annie. "Troy's been gone for almost 2 years, okay? Annie hasn't even been gone 3 full months." She opened the door and gave him a light shove into the hall. "I'm sure you can survive one more night without her." She closed the door on his face, leaving him to dwell on the loaded implication she had purposefully dumped on him.

He looked back at the door and fought off the urge to force his way back in. The air was clearer in the hallway without Annie's distracting scent and suddenly he was breathing again, completely unaware he had ever stopped. Deciding to file it away as a necessary defeat, Jeff drove home agonized with the knowledge that no matter what he did, the night would end with him reeling that Annie was back, as he tossed and turned in the setting of their one night together.

* * *

Annie watched Britta closely, sensing a silent intensity from her friend. She pointed to Annie's seat and waited until the brunette sat, before joining and ultimately verbally tackling her. "What the hell happened?"

She took a sip of her beer and tried to not look guilty. "What do you mean?"

"Between you and Wounded Puppy!"

Annie opened her mouth and floundered a second before finally saying. "Nothing; what could've happened, I just got back."

"You know what I mean and that sarcastic deflect makes me even more sure that I'm right. Jeff has been acting strange ever since you left. Spill."

"There is nothing to spill."

"If you don't tell me, I'll assume the worst." Annie stilled ever so slightly. "Did you guys kiss again?"

Looking for the safest way out, Annie took the bait. "Yes, in the Study Room, the week before I left." Technically it wasn't a lie, just an omission of what took place later on.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I didn't think it was something I should rehash." She answered, level-headed and reasonable.

Britta watched her for what felt like a minute before her eyes dramatically widened. "You had sex with him!"

"What?" She blurted wondering if her friend had recently been bitten by a radioactive telepath.

"You did!" Her friend shoved her shoulder. "You would never act so cavalier about a kiss unless something else happened. What the hell, Annie? You were going to keep this from me? Come on; details!"

Still frozen, Annie looked at her and felt like an idiot for not vehemently denying the accusation. It had caught her completely off guard. "I can't talk about this." She lurched up and paced with her beer.

"That's as good as any admission."

She shook her head. "Isn't this too weird to talk about? I mean, you and Jeff used to sleep together; I think that makes this a taboo kind of conversation." She was ranting more to herself than to Britta.

"Annie!" The pacing stopped while she continued. "What Jeff and I did was purely physical; scratching an itch for one another. Nothing more."

She grimaced and dropped into the recliner, cradling her head. "I've never scratched an itch like that before."

Britta laughed, leaning over to touch Annie's hand. "Like what, exactly?"

She groaned. "It's not right or fair for me to talk about it; what about Jeff?" She shook her head, mortified with the direction of the night. "I can't talk about him so intimately behind his back." Any other guy and she knew she wouldn't hesitate, but this was Jeff.

"If you want, I can call him back over and we can all talk about it." She wagged her eyebrows with a laugh.

The blush responded. "No."

"That bad, huh?" Her laugh sounded again. "So, one awkward and unpleasant sexual experience is nothing between good friends. Trust me, I know. At least you didn't have to make eye contact with him during. It's easier to fake it that way."

Annie shook her head, unaware that her blush was a becoming, yet obnoxious scarlet. She spoke softly. "There was eye contact."

"Really? That almost sounds like progre-"

"So much so that it felt like he could see through me." Too caught up in reliving that night, Annie hadn't even realized that she interrupted Britta. "He looked at me like I was going to disappear."

He wasn't looking at her, Britta understood. He was watching her, every last second he had left. Annie gave a small, nearly imperceptible squirm that Britta realized was a shiver. "And?" She barely prompted.

"He was so serious and intense." She sighed. "I would never have guessed he could be so attentive. I just-" She again openly floundered for words this time huffing when she came up empty. Britta was taken aback, unable to reconcile this new information with the selfish and lackluster performances she had experienced.

"That good, huh?" Complete disbelief chimed in her voice.

Annie focused on her and there was a marveled sadness in her glossy eyes. "I didn't know it could be like that. I never-"

Britta took advantage of the silence. "Hold that thought. I'm ordering takeout." She grabbed both beers and set them on the counter. "I'm sure I have wine somewhere. We're doing this right." She briefly ordered on the phone while pouring two glasses of an old, forgotten wine that had been abandoned in the pantry long ago.

After hanging up the phone, she brought the glasses to the coffee table. Sitting on the heels of her feet, she took a sip. "Now tell me everything."


	3. Just As They Were

**CHAPTER 3: JUST AS THEY WERE**

He had wanted to wake up beside her; that was all Annie could hear in her head over and over again as she recounted the goodbye they shared in his apartment. It was the one thing she couldn't tell Britta. If she hadn't known better, it had almost felt like a confession. The simple words cocooned her in the softness she had felt waking that night, but the tone of his voice, its mirrored tenderness in his eyes, it all made her feel deliriously lost in him. She had wanted to stay in that car and in truth, a small part of her had. Everything she wanted felt unimportant when she could remember Jeff's hands and lips across her fevered skin, all of him promising a silent oath of his reciprocation of her feelings; feelings she still had been unable to come to terms with, let alone speak aloud.

"And I left." She finished simply as even as her voice would allow, shoveling chow mein into her mouth immediately to dilute the severity of her tone.

"What?" Britta asked leaning over the arm of the couch. "You just left him that night?"

"Don't you remember coming home to me in the living room? I mean, you know I came home." She shallowly breathed.

"But how could you just leave?"

"Of all people, you're asking me this?"

"Absolutely. You wanted to stay. Why didn't you?" She asked emphatically through a bite of her vegetarian egg roll.

"Britta, we had already severely overshot complicated. Was I supposed to just stay there and sleep in his arms?"

"Yes! Since when did you become the idiot? I don't think I approve of this shift in dynamic."

"I couldn't do that, Britta."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I never would've left!" She barked back, feeling a familiar heat fill her face, the kind that snuck its way into her cheeks before she would cry. She set down the wine more forceful than necessary, annoyed that it was adding weight to her recollection. "Britta, imagine, just try to imagine what I felt waking up in his arms." She shook her head, the impassioned volume of her voice building. "I tried to make us something and he never wanted it; who's to say that he even did then? I wouldn't have been able to leave and it would've made everything so much harder. I-" She breathed heavily. "I had to get out of there."

"Annie?" Britta sighed.

"What?" She looked back up at her friend.

"You love him." It was an awed whisper. "Don't you?"

Annie laughed, the delirious sound soon becoming angry. "You don't get to ask a question that I still can't even answer for myself."

"I wasn't asking."

Annie sighed, feeling truly defeated for the first time in her life. "Can we go back to talking about sex?"

"Oh, Annie. I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter. It just can't work. It won't and I'm trying to accept that."

"Why not?"

"Because Jeff hates change."

"I don't understand."

"This is temporary. I'm going back to D.C."

"What?"

She sighed loudly. "There's a program at Quantico. My internship was kind of like a tryout."

"That's why you didn't want to make a big deal about coming back."

"Because I'm not."

"How long?"

"Two weeks. I have orientation soon after."

"You know you have to tell Jeff."

"I was going to tell him immediately, but seeing him again was tense, I just couldn't."

Britta looked through her glass of wine, her eyes unfocused contemplating the truth she couldn't wrap her mind around. This wasn't some passing fancy; Annie had real, substantial feelings for Jeff. The blonde tried not to dwell on how ridiculous that seemed. Jeff was not the type of man that a woman really loved; she doubted he even possessed the depth to reciprocate such feelings, but then, she had never seen him look at any woman the way he looked at Annie. "I understand." She waited a brief moment before the stagnation of the discomfort in the room and the air constricted her gut. "Want to go get hammered?"

Annie laughed in spite of herself, shaking her head. "I'm on my second glass of wine and I got off a plane less than 3 hours ago. The jet lag and the booze are making me feel drunker than I can handle."

Britta gave a small frown, unable to admit that without the aid of a worn down bar table and a dank, but cozy pub, she was still that clueless woman from six years ago, who had no idea how to comfort a distressed damsel, even one as dear as the friend who sat beside her. "Do we watch chick flicks?" She offered both lame and desperately, the inflection in her voice revealing how unappealing the suggestion was to her. Annie grinned. "What? What do we do?" She was another stifling minute away from awkwardly patting Annie on the back.

"You could tell me all about your summer."

Britta released a sigh, beyond grateful to change the subject. She took a large gulp, finishing her glass of wine, before refilling it. Her voice contained its typical cadence of Buzzkill Britta, but a smile peeked behind her eyes, happy to finally be sitting with her best friend. "Let me tell you about the longest three months of my life."

* * *

Jeff had walked into his room, without realizing that his eyes had narrowed in the direction of his bed, as if he had the inanimate object to blame for the memories attacking him with an offensive ferocity. He pretended for an audience of zero that he was more interested in watching T.V. out in his living room than going to sleep.

Sitting on his couch in the colorless, yet blinding illumination, he stared at the television, completely unaware that he never actually made the move to turn it on. It had taken him an hour or so of impassioned and consuming mental self-distraction, before he began to doze off. He could feel the restraint of his body resting against the insufficient size of his sofa, even in his dreamless prelude to slumber. The only reminder that he had actually started to fall asleep was a mindless and droning hum he could feel and hear tickling the back of his head; the sensation grew, dragging down the length of his spine, coating each notch in his vertebrae with the desperate delay of dreams, making restful sleep, impossible.

The buzz morphed into a solely physical manifestation as he felt pins and needles drench his entire right hand that carelessly cradled his hanging head. The light touch of discomfort grew, until stiffness in his neck made itself painfully known. Just as the teasings of a back spasm began to bloom, a knock at his door jarred him from his restless posture. He wasted no time, reaching the source of the sound in three long strides. He shook his right hand awake, feeling the pins and needles fade away slowly, first like a black and white static pricking his arm until a heavy, but less uncomfortable numbness overtook the tips of his fingers overstretching to his elbow, swollen in sensation alone.

He shouldn't have been surprised to see Annie standing at the door, and yet he was. The only person that he could imagine showing up so late and without a boisterous Britta-like knock was her, but a part of him couldn't wrap his mind around her being back. When he pulled the door back his eyes latched onto her in the same way they did earlier that day, as if waking up to unfamiliar surroundings before regaining equilibrium at the memory of how he got there. She was home again. He stepped back, allowing her space to walk in. The silence between them was thick and foreboding, stilted in its restraint. She bobbed her head as she entered. He shut the door and faced her.

She was going to disappear. Something about the view of Annie standing in front of him, made Jeff so sure she would vanish. Being so close to her since she left made him feel claustrophobic; Annie was in every particle he breathed. Just the thought of inhaling her, her hands and lips on his skin, his fingers in her hair; it made his skin hot, begging for a cold breeze of sobriety. All that aside, he wanted to touch her, desperately. In the six years he had known her, they had only spent one night together and ridiculously enough, it was all he could think about.

"What happened to Girls' Night?"

"I kind of ditched Britta." She stood leaning against the wall. "We need to talk."

Jeff had rarely heard that sentence come out of a woman's mouth before, but every time he did, it meant hearing something he didn't want to. He walked into the space of his living room and stood beside the arm of his recliner. "I don't want a prelude."

She nodded. "Fair enough. I didn't let you guys know that I was coming back because it is temporary. I'm moving to D.C." She said simply and there it was, floating on the air, in the energy between them and it wasn't that bad, Jeff thought.

He took a breath and immediately realized he was wrong; it hurt like hell, but Annie was still talking as if she could distract him from his thoughts. "There is a program at Quantico and my internship put me at the top of the list. It's a great opportunity, but it's definitely long term."

"Are you coming back?" Jeff didn't know he had the focus to string a sentence together and found himself surprised to hear one escape from his mouth.

"If I do, it will be years from now." A humorless smile dawned across her face. She sighed. "I love Greendale. This is my home and my whole life is here, but I'm starting to realize that it shouldn't be." She was off the wall and pacing softly. "D.C. was incredible. It was like my world had tripled in size over night; and the work being done at the Bureau…" She shook her head, eyes alit with awe. "It was amazing; there was something indescribable about seeing so many people work together on something so much bigger than all of them. I wanted so badly to be a part of it." She smiled to herself, looking down. "And the stories they would tell; the places they'd seen, the people they'd met. It made Greendale seem like some crazy fever dream." She looked back to Jeff and her eyes softened. "When the world became bigger, all I thought about was how much I wanted to see it." She took a step towards him. "And then I thought about you." Annie had immediately realized that was the hardest part of the equation and the one she tried desperately to make fit.

"You know, I feel stupid for letting myself think… I knew it was coming, so I don't know why I wasn't prepared for it."

"Prepared for what?"

"Letting you go. I knew you couldn't really be back to stay after getting out of here." He was almost thankful that she revealed the news so immediately; any chance of him developing a false sense of security about her return was shattered.

Annie let out a scoff that reminded him of when she was 18, full of indignant frustration. "See? That right there. That's the problem. That has always been our problem."

"What?" He asked hesitantly, feeling the heavy accusation in her tone.

"You, you idiot! You're always ready to let me go." She mocked. "You're immediately willing to swallow whatever the hell it is that you feel for me, and just say goodbye. You've never taken a second to even ask me if that's what I want." She exhaled, shaking her head. "I can't help but think you were right all along. You and I can't work. You're so complacent to give up because that's the only option you can see."

The silence that followed let Annie know that she was right. Jeff never saw another way of doing this. "If saying goodbye comes so easy, then maybe that's what we're supposed to do." It ached for her to admit to herself that if his commitment had even been half as strong as hers he wouldn't be able to just forget it, not again, not for real. "I can do it, but just…" she breathed heavily. "Don't act like I ever asked you to let me go. I couldn't and I never have."

"You act like there is some obvious option here for me to select from, but there isn't, Annie." He shook his head, feeling the aftereffects of his brief slumber still linger in his mind. "If I had known for certain that you weren't coming back…" He cut himself off. "Things became a lot more complicated the night before you left; at least, they did for me." He wasn't yelling, his voice had somehow slithered out eerily calm, now that his brain was working two steps faster than his speech, ready to assess and maintain the damage already done. He couldn't get angry anymore; this had been a long time coming.

He may not have meant it as a challenge, but Annie couldn't stop herself from taking it as such. "You think that night didn't mean anything to me?" He must've had a lot of gall to even imply as much, Annie fumed. "Well, it did. You think I don't care what could happen next? I do! I want to know, feel and experience all that with you, more than you can begin to comprehend. But I can't just stay here and play happy to put my own life on hold hoping you won't get skittish, like you always do. I'm leaving because there is so much for me to see and do and the sad part is I'd rather do it with you more than anyone else, but this," she gestured around. "This is not everything the world has to offer me and it definitely isn't all it has to offer you. This isn't the finish line, Jeff. You still have more than half the race to go. I've accepted it and that's why I'm leaving Greendale behind, not you." She sighed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "You didn't use to want to end up here, but now it's like you're so resigned to stay. It'd be different if this was what you wanted, but it's not."

Jeff breathed and spoke in an unintentionally patronizing tone. "Annie, you don't understand. Greendale just has this way of helping you accept where you stand."

"Oh, don't give me that crap!" She snapped back. "You gave up. Why?"

He scoffed and looked away. "Maybe follow through isn't my strong suit anymore."

"I'll say." Annie mocked.

Jeff glared at her. "Which discussion are we having, because those kind of comments are gearing us towards a whole other fight."

"This is not a fight." She stated clearly, her voice still full of antagonistic energy.

"Oh, really? Then why do I have the sudden urge to walk away?"

"Because it would be the easy way out." Annie said simply and Jeff couldn't begin to comprehend how much that bothered him because it was true. She let the silence permeate the argument until she knew he was ready to communicate with her. "Talk to me, Jeff."

"Annie." He sighed. "It's just too late, okay?"

"No! Not okay. Self-pity is beneath you. So you're 41. Cry me a river." She inhaled, speaking softer. "A lot of people would say it's too late for a 35 year old lawyer to go to college and get his Bachelor's degree, but you did. It's not too late to live your life. You're better than you think you are. You are just designed not to believe it when you hear it from yourself." Her mouth quirked into a little half smile.

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"Whatever you want, but actually make that choice. Stop counting down your life and start living it. Do something."

"Again, which discussion are we having?" Jeff heaved, suddenly feeling drained from the conversation.

"We were talking about me, but I've made my decision and I'm settled on that. Even if I wasn't, you don't have the nerve to try and convince me to stay. So don't stoop to making me feel guilty, because it is not working."

She sat down. "So now we're talking about you and why you can't just admit that Greendale isn't right for you anymore?"

"What and D.C. is?" He said sardonically, hoping to get a reaction from her.

She shrugged with purposeful nonchalance. "It could be." Jeff froze, realizing what she was saying. "It could also be a disaster. Half the fun is in not knowing."

He sat back on the arm of his chair facing her with a pensive expression. "I don't think I can commit to not knowing."

She smiled softly, unable to hold on to her anger or irritation with him. She reached out and touched his cheek. "That's life." She replied sadly.

A mutual silence seemed to serve as judgment for what would be done and what would not.

It seemed they couldn't both get what they wanted; even if what they both really wanted was each other. "So, that's settled then?" Jeff summated lamely, while Annie nodded. "It seems smarter this way. End this before it even begins." Their eyes met and they both knew it was a lie. It had already begun, not even the night they had sex, or the night he tried to let her go, or the day she had inspired the door to open. It had started long before fantasies of dark timelines, mistaken identity at ski resorts, maturing in the midst of a pillow/blanket war, realizations while drafting wedding speeches, battling via Model U.N.'s, kettle corn-wielding rivals, among conspiracies and if Jeff had to be completely honest, this thing between them had started even before that kiss at the Transfer Dance. The air around them had changed that day in the Study Room when they combed over their debate and he realized that despite what he had tried to tell himself, Annie was a beautiful, smart and exceptional woman. There was that shared moment, that even if given an eternity, Jeff knew he couldn't replicate. There weren't words to describe what he felt when he looked at her in that fraction of a second, but somehow he knew she had felt it too.

It was the purest and most concentrated dose of chemistry he had ever experienced; an attraction so strong and deep, it transcended beyond the physical. It terrified him, because for the first time in years, he had actually felt butterflies. It was unprecedented, stupid and wholly undeniable. After that, he constantly found himself noticing her, while forcing himself to believe he wasn't looking. Yes, this thing had been going on for nearly six years and even after all this time he still didn't know how to mute or hide from it. It wasn't ending before it started, but before it ever got a chance. "Glass half full, we save ourselves time and effort."

Annie shook her head and although she was smiling, the soft laugh she choked out almost sounded bitter. "I guess then we should congratulate ourselves for such commendable efficiency."

"Maybe even reward ourselves." He joked half-heartedly.

"Somehow," She confided just above a whisper, stepping towards him. "I don't think I'm in the most gracious mood."

Jeff sat, perched on the arm of his recliner, his legs uselessly draped off the edge. She stood nearly flush with him, her one knee in between both of his, her left knee on the other side grazing his right. She reached out slowly, her soft hand hugging the contrast of his prickled, scruffy cheek. She leaned down and kissed him gently. As Jeff felt her pull away, he placed his hand on top of hers, keeping her there and kissing her in return. His other arm wrapped around the small of her back. He remembered clutching her to him the same way when he kissed her the night she had tried to sneak out of his apartment. Annie's nails lightly scratched against the back of his head. He uttered a low and deep breath, causing her to quickly peel herself away. He hurried to pull air back into his lungs.

Jeff let out a breathy laugh that reverberated down her spine, provoking goosebumps to nudge their way across her skin. She stepped back even further, not meaning to meet his eyes. "That kiss would suggest otherwise."

It took Annie nearly a minute to remember what she had said before she kissed him. The weak legs, dizzy head and unfinished lips weren't helping her either. While walking backwards, she stuttered out, "I… have to, um…"

"Sneak out?" He finished, somewhat pointedly.

"Wouldn't want Britta to find me missing." The truth was that Annie didn't want to leave. She wanted to feel Jeff touching her again. Something lingering in her core called out to the memory of him kissing her, heat burning through her skin. A teasing reminder that tasted of salt pressed to her lips, whether sweat or tears, she couldn't care or remember; full of every piece of each other.

* * *

"How are things?" Britta asked as soon as Annie walked through the door, having forced her out to confront Jeff. She knew the information her friend had to give him, could not be prolonged another minute.

"Just as they were." She answered simply, thankful that her friend had no problem delaying their Girls' Night just so she could put an end to that wonderful game of pretend she had been playing since the night she broke off a part of herself in Jeff's silky sheets.

"I'm sorry."

"I have no right to be let down by something I saw coming from a mile away. What else could I expect from him?" If she was being fair, the answer was nothing. And yet, like an idiot, she had hoped anyway.


	4. Being Friendly

***A/N - Hello boys, girls and everyone in between. It was really important to me that I get to the main conflict right away; I wanted it to be this looming understanding between everyone. Also, I would like to give a heads up: this is the shortest chapter (about 2/3 of what I usually write), though I think I made up for it, because the next chapter is the longest (about 5/3 of what I usually write). I doubt anyone is keeping a meticulous word count though, lol. Thanks. As always, please R &R. - Nikki**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4: BEING FRIENDLY**

The tension was palpable the next night at dinner. The current situation among the trio was draped across the dining room table, stuffed in between dishes of food; everyone feasting on the discomfort of the unspoken obstacle between Jeff and Annie. It felt almost juvenile to ignore the problem, but once Annie had gleaned that there would be no sense made of it, only further agony and embarrassment, she tried to change the subject. Luckily enough, she didn't have to force conversation for long as Britta read the room and began recalling anything noteworthy from her summer that she had yet to share with Annie, and even a few things she already had.

Finally a natural lull cloaked over them as they settled into their meals. Just as Annie felt the stiffness in her spine soften, Jeff acknowledged her impending departure. "So, what is on the agenda for the next couple of weeks?"

Annie tried to ease out of the sour smile that slapped itself on her face as a knee-jerk reaction. "Well, I actually have a lot of errands to run, but I think if I cram a little I can get the majority of it done this first week. It would be nice to spend my last week relaxing and not racing against the clock."

He nodded. "Sounds exhausting." Jeff offered up, seemingly somewhat apathetic.

Britta wiped her face. "Excuse me." She escaped to the restroom, wanting to duck out of the tone minefield, feeling the odds run smaller and smaller with each exchange.

Jeff recognized the awkwardness dripping off both of them. Oddly enough, he was thankful for it, understanding that Annie had told him so early to proactively demolish any lingering remnants of their night together. Outwardly she had succeeded, but there was no end to the memories that clung to him, the same way her light perfume had or the small smudges of her soft pale lipstick, or the way he remembered her skin every time he showered during that first month, twitching as the hot water cascaded down and filled the carved grooves her nails had inflicted on his back; all of it still stuck to him, making it impossible to forget.

Annie sighed. "We have navigated through this kind of awkwardness before."

"We have?" He looked up, almost grateful she was outing the elephant in the room.

The inflection and humor in his voice made her wary to answer. She shrugged off the discomfort. "Countless times; after the kiss at the transfer dance, the Rich incident, or in our 3rd year during the model U.N. competition, just to name a few."

He smirked and gave a much too enthusiastic nod that contrasted against his overly sarcastic nature. "Sure, of course. We definitely navigated our way through all those situations." He shook his head. "With a disturbing lack of success."

"What do you mean?"

He laughed. "A bloody nose from being punched in the face, endorsing the psychopathic Chang in a jealous fit and you throwing a tantrum because I enabled child-like behavior. Is that success to you?"

She smirked. "Not really, no." She met his eyes. "But even through all of that, we never stopped being friends."

He nodded. "It won't be as easy this time around."

"I don't know. We won't really have to deal with the strain because we won't have to see each other every day."

Jeff decided to ignore the cartoon arrow lodged in his chest and the subsequent stabbing pain that came with it. "'Have to'? It's nice to know our friendship of six years boils down to one of obligation." He teased.

"More like one of convenience." She served right back. "We saw each other every day."

Past tense, that's what everything between them had become. Saw, touched, kissed; everything, now pleasant memories he would cling to while he let the real thing slip away. "Let me prove it's more than convenience."

"Hmm?" She looked up.

"You said you have a lot to get done in the next few days. Let me help."

"Jeff, you don't-"

"Really Annie, it's the least I can do. Britta has practically adopted your car over the summer. She has work tomorrow and she's going to need a ride more likely than not, since her car is currently held together with duct tape and the prayers of an atheist." She laughed. "I know you, Annie. Once you get on a productive high tomorrow, you're not going to want to stop and pick up Britta to take her to work. It'll disturb your flow."

Annie nodded. He was right. "What about you?"

"Three weeks until Fall semester starts up. You know I don't need that much prep time to secure a few Planet Earth documentaries." He bit down a grin when she glared at the last part.

"Why so helpful all of a sudden?"

He shrugged. "I feel like I kind of owe you one." Her lifted brow inquired even further. His smirk was almost embarrassed. "I didn't help you move last time."

She watched him closely for a second. "Okay, fine." She smiled. "Thank you." She sighed. "By the way, I already forgave you for last time after seeing your duet with the Dean."

Britta came back from the bathroom. "What about the Dean?" She asked, sitting down.

"Oh, I was just talking about his concert with Jeff."

She barked out a laugh. "Oh, man. That was a great day." She said wistfully. "I've decided that I'm going to have that play at Winger's funeral."

"What?" He snapped back to look at Britta.

"It'll be great." She grinned, slightly holding back her laughter at the outrage on his face.

"Absolutely not!" He called back, completely severe.

"Oh, come on. It'll mean so much to Craig."

"Wait a second! He outlives me? How do you figure; with all the weird stuff he's into? I'm calling it; accidental death by asphyxiation within 10 years."

"Jeff." Annie chided.

"Correct me if you think I'm wrong." He defended simply.

Annie looked at Britta. They both shrugged in silence, unable to deny the high likelihood of that happening.

"Speaking of Greendale's man of mystery, I was thinking. Troy is coming back on Saturday and Annie, you're leaving the week after so I think we should have a little party." She cleared her throat. "We could invite a few people from Greendale, like the Dean and Frankie, maybe Chang. We could have it in the bar. You know, A Bon Voyage/Welcome Home Party. What do you think?"

Jeff looked at her in confusion. "So, let me get this straight: we're having a party at the bar we always go to with the same group of people we always see. What makes this any different than a regular Saturday night?"

"Duh doy." She heaved impatiently. "There'd be a banner."

"Ah, yes, of course." He oozed sarcasm in his brief nod.

Annie bobbed, surprisingly relaxed at the promise of a party. "I'm okay with it. As long as it's simple."

"I don't know, Annie. She said there'd be a banner." Jeff commented; his inflection and tone perfectly mocked Britta.

"Shut up, Forehead." His smile vanished and Annie had to actively bite down a chuckle. Britta turned her attention back to her. "Definitely simple. Maybe a few balloons, but nothing too crazy. More of a 'get together' than a party." She turned back to Jeff for indifferent approval of her new classification for the event. "There. Happy now?"

Annie smiled gently. "It sounds nice. Thank you." She sipped her tea. "Oh, by the way; don't worry about the car tomorrow. Jeff's going to run errands with me."

"Oh, so it'll just be like doing it yourself, but with the added bonus of snarky comments every 5-10 minutes."

"You know…" He seethed. "Actually, I can't even fight you on that one." They all laughed.


	5. Moments

***A/N - Hello boys, girls and everyone in between. Here comes the long chapter. I have to admit this was probably my favorite to write, even though it was the most challenging. I really wanted to introduce a more playful mood. It was so long that I almost split it in two, but I couldn't get myself to do it. Oddly enough, this was one the last chapters I wrote. Sorry for the random trivia tidbits... lol, I hope it was interesting to someone. As always, please R your reviews make my day. Thanks. - Nikki**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 5: MOMENTS**

"Jeff, you don't have to do this. This is your last chance out."

His eyes regarded her with that same softness that made everything feel silent, as if the vacuum of space is all that enveloped her, that and those eyes. "I know. Annie, don't give me so much credit. You're leaving soon; I'm just trying to steal a little more time." Jeff couldn't help but undermine the ache in his gut by patting her twice on the head.

She blinked and smoothed out the emotion in her face, until determination was all that was left behind. "Okay, fine. Just know that you've signed up for this. We can't Winger our way through all the stuff I need to get done."

He scoffed with a smile. "Now I know what that feels like. Remind me to apologize to Britta later." He put on his shades and stepped outside. "So, we are going to Edison our way through this?" He bobbed his brows.

"This is my turf. If ever I'm looking for the best hair product or facial cleanser, I promise you will be my go to guy."

He shrugged nonchalantly, refusing to be offended by the truth. "What's first on the list?" He couldn't hide his beaming grin when Annie pulled out an actual list and he knew he shouldn't have been surprised.

"I have a small storage unit up the road." She sighed heavily. "For the most part it is just a bunch of stuff I've never got around to getting rid of. I do have to go through some of it."

"Estimation?" He started his car.

Annie buckled her seatbelt. "Hopefully, an hour." She placed the folded list back into her purse. "I was thinking about stopping by a donation center right after. There's one right around the corner from Greendale."

"Done." He pulled onto the road, numbing the countdown ticking away in the back of his brain, focusing on only the street and the smell of her subtle perfume.

* * *

Jeff laughed, overly enthusiastic at the contents of her storage unit. It wasn't like Annie to be so terrible at any estimation and yet he knew hers was completely off; the room was small enough, but the items were so fantastically high school, they tickled out his inner teenage boy and he was determined to play with every outrageous and nostalgic piece. His eyes fixed on a fuzzy pink boa.

Annie's eyes narrowed and he knew they had seen it at the same time. They both stared at each other for the briefest of seconds before lurching towards it. Jeff had the advantage of longer legs and arms, his reach more impressive and much more determined than hers. "Jeff." She warned.

"Oh, come on, Annie." He wrapped it around his own neck and smiled at the contradictory grin in her eyes held up against the frustrated huff escaping her mouth. "Don't be so hasty. You never know when you are going to need this again."

She held out the black trash bag. "We're getting rid of it, Jeff."

"But it's so flattering." He marched further into the unit. "I think you are the only person I've ever known to have such a tidy storage unit. It's like a store." He turned back to face her. "You'll have to forgive me for treating it like one."

"Jeff…" She called again.

"It's such an everyday accessory. I bet it would go great with your complexion." He held the end of it in his hands. "It's weird."

"What?"

"To see you so blatantly cheat on purple." He mocked.

"I was 11." She shrugged. "I wasn't big on monogamy." Teasingly, she grinned at herself.

"Ah." He searched the items again, playing while Annie sorted individual piles. "Oh, my God!"

"What?" Annie asked his broad back. "What's wrong?"

"I think I died and went to humiliation heaven." Annie felt her gut tighten, afraid of what he found to elicit such a reaction. He didn't wait for her to respond. Tilting his head down, he placed something on it. He quickly spun. "Oh, Annie." He cooed in sarcastic sympathy that did nothing to mask his delight.

Perched on top of his head was her 8th grade marching band hat. It was navy blue and white, tassels and all. He seemed to have completely forgotten about the pink boa that was still wrapped around his neck. "Stop acting like you're shocked. We all know I was a geek."

"I thought I knew, but now I have no idea. Is this the highest level of dork hidden in the confines of this storage unit?"

She could feel her face turning red. "Should I answer that honestly?"

He laughed. "Oh, today is already so worth it."

The storage unit was mainly comprised of things Annie planned to donate. So much of her stuff seemed so childlike, nothing compared to the woman that stood before him, sorting relentlessly. He found some star shaped glasses and inspected them for a long moment. "What's with all the kid stuff?"

Annie turned and took the glasses from his hands, tossing them into the garbage bag. "I used to keep everything when I was a kid, especially stuff like this." She unwrapped the boa from his neck, her hands moving slow enough that he could feel the playfulness in the air fade away. She flicked the final piece off his neck, her nails grazing his skin as the last feather fell to the ground. "My mom wasn't big on kids' toys, they were 'much too messy'; but when I was young and still social, you know, before high school, I remember going to birthday parties and getting those goodie bags." She looked up and Jeff acknowledged her recollection with a small nod.

"I used to horde these things under my bed and then years passed by." She shrugged. "My mother and I had that huge fight about rehab. I didn't really get a chance to go through this stuff before I had to move, so I just loaded it all up." Her thumb smoothed over the soft fuscia feathers in her hands. "I know I've had time to go through it all since, but I just could never get myself to do it. Sometimes you just cling to memories, even if they aren't special, because it's all you have; reminders of fonder moments."

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine." Something in her voice made him realize that she was actually telling the truth. "I didn't want to let go of any of it: the pain, the anger, the hurt…" she smiled softly. "But somehow it let go of me." She tossed the boa into the trash bag. "I don't need these memories, because I've made much better ones."

Jeff grabbed a glittering child's crown and stepped in front of her, placing it on her head. "I know. If it's any consolation, I'm proud that I got a chance to know that young woman." He let his hand rest on her cheek. "That pain, anger and hurt, they made you who you are today: an exceptional woman and an amazing friend." She smiled sweetly and brought her hand to his, holding it for a second, before pulling them both from her face. "That being said, are you sure you don't want the princess crown, Milady? It's quite fetching."

She laughed and shoved him playfully, her words pointed. "I think it fits your personality much better, Milord."

"Thank you." He sighed. "I've always thought I was a royal."

"Only as a pain in the ass."

"Touché."

"Now, are you going to help me at all? I told you we weren't going to Winger this."

"But I'm so good at it." He whined.

"Something I know all too well." He lifted his brows, tilting his head suggestively, causing her to scoff. "Get to work."

* * *

Jeff reached for the white bag in the back seat. Annie quickly stopped him, pushing the bag back in. "Not that one. That is a separate stop I'm afraid."

He shrugged, looking back to the donation employee. "We're all set."

Once in the car, she looked at him with a stilted smile. "Do you mind if we stop at an old friend's house?"

"Um, sure." He answered hesitantly, swearing he heard nerves in her voice.

"Thanks, I'll be real quick."

They pulled up to a pristine, modern-looking home. Annie conveyed whispered surprise, saying she couldn't 'believe she remodeled'. "In and out." She promised. "Probably not even in." She added under her breath. Grabbing the bag in the back seat, Annie quickly exited the car, hurrying up to the entrance.

By the second rap of her knuckles against the door, Jeff began to understand. When he saw fractions of brown hair peeking through the now open door, the face obscured from his view, he knew his assumptions had been correct. She had lied to him; they were at her mother's house. That was why she had been acting so strange. The figure stepped back allowing her in. Jeff seethed quietly in the car.

After stewing for 7 minutes, he looked up to find Annie exiting the house. He immediately noticed two things: she didn't look back and no one followed her out. He couldn't help but conclude that things didn't go pleasingly.

"Sorry about that." Annie spoke steadily as she sat in the car, fastening her seat belt. "I didn't think it would take so long."

He looked ahead pulling out onto the road. "Are you okay?" He asked, eyes still focused on the street.

In his periphery he noticed her eyes snap on him. She tried to sound nonchalant. "Yeah, Jeff. You?"

He decided to not address the patronizing tone in her voice. "I know you lied." He nudged his head. "That was your mother's house, wasn't it?" There was a brief, revealing silence before Jeff continued. "Why didn't you tell me?" He looked back at her.

Annie shrugged. "I knew you'd try to come if I did."

"And?"

She sighed with a smile. "I'm used to my mother's attitude; you shouldn't have to be subjected to it."

"I could've hung back." He lied.

"Since when do any of us know how to be anything but overbearing with each other?"

She was right. "I could handle it."

"You shouldn't have to. That's the point."

"So? That's what friends are there for. I would deny it, but having Britta there made it so much easier to face my dad, mainly because she forced me to…" his voice tapered off, appearing to be caught up in his annoyance towards their mutual friend.

"That was a different situation."

"Really? Enlighten me."

"You had never confronted your dad, which is why something needed to be said, if only for your peace of mind." She shrugged. "I said my piece to my mother years ago when I left. I've had nothing else to say and neither one of us have changed our opinions."

"Oh," he managed. Taking a breath, he parked the car and faced her. "If you really are as indifferent as you're acting, why even stop by there?"

She released a hefty sigh. "Years ago, when I moved out, I took some things that weren't necessarily mine."

"Lying and stealing? I hardly know this Annie." He teased lamely.

She nodded. "They were some family heirlooms. I took them because I knew how stubborn my mother was. It was my best chance of getting a reaction and having her reach out to me; even if it was only to get my grandfather's pocket watch or my great Aunt Irene's photo album back." Her voice sounded sad for the first time. "It's why I never changed my number. I always thought she would call me once she noticed they were missing. She never did."

"I'm sorry."

"Honestly, it's fine. At the time," she shook her head. "It wasn't. Clearing out my storage today, I realized that I haven't even thought about her calling me. I haven't needed her to for a long time. It was time to give it back and tell her I'm moving, if only as a courtesy."

"What did she say?"

"Nothing much." She recognized the confusion on Jeff's face considering that she'd been there too long for nothing to have been said, then again he didn't know her mother. "I think she just wanted to count it and make sure it was all there." She explained.

"I'm sorry." He said again.

"Stop saying that." She huffed. "This is another reason I didn't want you in there. I don't need you to feel bad for me. I'm happy." She considered for a second. "Okay, I'm a little sad that I don't have a good relationship with my mother, but I'm proud of myself. When I needed to get better, I chose myself as a priority and it worked. All these years later, I have earned some wisdom and life experience, I have gained perspective and grown. She hasn't; that's what is sad." She breathed and straightened in her seat, exuding confidence. "As far as my relationship with my mother is concerned, I've made no mistakes. I have no regrets and I can move forward without a second thought. That makes it all worth it."

He tilted his head in the direction of the restaurant they were parked beside. "Before we stop at Greendale, let me buy you lunch."

She beamed and Jeff's gut clenched as a direct response. "Okay."

* * *

"Now for the fun portion of today's Oprah moment: What nasty things would your mother have said about me?"

"Nothing you haven't heard before, I'm sure."

"Um, ouch." He laughed. "I'm talking about her, not you."

Annie chewed through a bit of her fish, inspecting him closely in contemplation of what the Ice Queen would have to say about him. She noticed him shrink at the overbearing gaze. "She'd probably go after the forehead." She pointed.

"God!" He gasped. "Is it really that bad?"

She smiled; her voice sweet again. "I like it." She sipped on her glass of iced tea. "I think you have a very cute forehead."

He looked away, accidentally bashful in the most endearing way. Deflecting, he coughed a reply. "What else would she say?"

"Are you sure you can handle more?"

He chewed a crouton. "Yes. That just happens to be a sore spot of mine."

Annie shook her head. "That's what she goes after, sore spots. She reads people, like crazy well. She's used to it, I guess."

'Oh, God.' He thought. "What does she do for a living?" He asked although he was sure he could guess.

Annie laughed. "She used to be a lawyer." She winked. The small quirk filled his gut with affection. "She's been a judge now for probably about 10 years."

Jeff was definitely thankful he didn't force his way in, now knowing there was very good chance her mother had seen him at his worst and most ridiculous. He tried to throw the thought from his mind. "Okay, show me." Annie started to shake her head. "No, really. You've already hit the worst one. What else could she say?"

Annie smiled and thought. "Your age." She held her finger up. "But she wouldn't just call you old, she would probably imply you're my sugar daddy or something like that. That one is a twofer; she couldn't resist." Jeff raised his brows. "She would be implying that you're much too old and creepy – two things you would hate to be perceived as – while simultaneously insulting my integrity by hinting that I am a gold-digger and also diminishing me like I'm still a child – something she knows I absolutely hate. Two birds, one stone."

"Sugar daddy, huh? Would she really be wrong, though?" Annie gasped loudly, shooting up from her food to find him smirking at her. "I mean, I am paying for lunch."

She grinned, playfully outraged. "I paid for coffee."

"I can reimburse you, if you'd like. That way we can better fulfill our roles."

"In exchange for another form of payment?" He looked up and swallowed, embarrassed by her bold statement of his unintentional implication. "I think not." She lightened, letting him off the hook. "Besides, the only person who has paid with their body today is you." He regarded her with a puzzled expression. "All that manual labor." She laughed. "Even if you haven't been much help."

"Excuse you. I think you are forgetting who lugged around that heavy dresser."

"Lugged? Heavy dresser? Really?" She guffawed. "You carried it for half a minute and it wasn't a dresser. It was a 3 foot tall night stand."

"3 ½ feet." He whined, sipping his water.

"What would I have done without such a big, strong man to help me?"

* * *

Annie had left very little room to relax in her schedule. The week was jam-packed with tasks. Oddly enough, Jeff was surprised by how in depth her list was. On Wednesday they had spent the majority of the day at the DMV, where Annie secured her change of address, which led to the most subtle line of questioning Jeff could articulate. Over the summer she had become close with a girl named Barbara who was also on the same academic path as her. Annie had secured the second bedroom in her apartment weeks ago and was going to be moving straight in. It bothered Jeff to know that she had planned on leaving Greendale that long ago without telling him, but he tried to shrug it off, determined to not sulk during her last few days.

Before leaving the DMV, Annie had asked the teller for some title transfer paperwork. In the car, she admitted that she was going to sign her car over to Britta, seeing as she had made more use of it over the summer than Annie had in years. After stopping at the bank, Annie shrugged, saying that the majority of her errands were complete.

Thursday was a very short day for them, though they started a bit later than usual. They checked off a few segments under Annie's heading of 'Miscellaneous'. The notion that she was leaving for good, really tackled him when they went to the local library, which was right around the corner from his apartment. It embarrassed him to think that in the years he had lived there, he didn't even know of its existence. She cancelled her library card. If he hadn't known for sure that she wasn't planning on coming back, the gesture would've seemed almost theatrical to him. But she was truly leaving.

As she shut the car door, Jeff asked in a teasing voice. "Wow, you think of everything, don't you?"

"No stone unturned." She laughed at herself.

"I feel like that moment should've had more fanfare." He smiled.

"Not really." She peeked over at him. "I already got a card from a library down the street in D.C."

"You can take the nerd out of the library-" he began, but was abruptly cut off as Annie hit his arm. He laughed. "Okay, sorry." He started the car. "So, where to next?"

She consulted her list quickly. After folding the paper and putting it away, she stayed quiet for a second as if she was still thinking. "That's it." She nodded.

"Really?" His disbelief was tinged with disappointment.

Annie seemed to also be surprised. "Yeah. I can't think of anything else we need to go and do." She shrugged. "As far as paperwork or errands go, I'm set."

"To move across the country?"

She laughed. "I already did a lot when I left the first time. Everything else this week was just loose ends."

He fought off any offense he might undeservedly feel. "So, back home?"

She pursed out her lips as she thought. "Yeah, now I just have to pack everything else."

He had seen her room and knew it wasn't a lot, but he still hoped to prolong their tasks. The week was going by fast, too fast. "Do you need some supplies? We could stop and go get some boxes and packing tape."

Annie turned her head and looked at him for a tense minute. Regarding him so closely, she could identify his considerate affection and although a small part of her was sad, she was overtaken by the stronger piece that felt truly grateful to inspire such an honest and genuine fondness for her. Not many people were lucky enough to know that hidden side of Jeff Winger and she was one of them. For a brief second, none of the pain or heartache from their entangled relationship felt pointless, because she really mattered that much to him and she knew it without a doubt. Whether it was simple friendship or something more, he cared about her.

She smiled and patted his hand on the steering wheel before looking ahead. "Sure. I could use some supplies." The fixed grin she wore nearly skewed the sound of her voice as she lied. She had sufficient materials to work with, but even more so, she knew she had enough time and money to waste a little on grabbing some packing tape and boxes, if only to stretch another moment with him.

Jeff felt oddly shy by the focused glance and turned his attention to pulling out of the library parking lot.

* * *

"Do you need any help packing?" Annie laughed. "What?"

She pulled her hair up into a ponytail. "It's just not like you to offer up your assistance for physical labor."

"Not entirely true."

Her scowl dismissed his double entendre. "Sure. I could use the help." She unlocked the front door. "Thanks." Annie tossed her keys into the bowl beside the door.

"You're welcome." He took off his light jacket and laid it over the arm of a recliner. "I guess Britta will feel pretty lucky to be at work while the packing gets done."

"I don't know." Annie set down her purse, letting the bags cling to her chest as she walked backwards to face him. "She's not the one who has had a problem helping in the past."

"I don't know who you're talking about." He smirked shyly, holding the boxes. He pointed to the kitchen behind him. "Any communal items to pack?"

"Not really." She shook her head. "I figure Britta needs all the help she can get as far as the little items go." She shrugged. "Plus, Babs's place is fully furnished. I don't really have to provide anything."

"Lucky break." He offered.

"Well, it saves on packing." She looked up as he approached her. "All I need to box up is a few things; some books, clothes and knick-knacks."

"Talk about a fresh start."

"That's kind of the point." Her smile dispersed as she felt a need to distance herself from him physically. She turned and walked head-on to her room. "We can't really pack much. There are still a few things I'm going to need for the next week."

"Right." He said softly, closely following her. The room felt so much more like hers than when he had awoke in it a few days before; he chalked it up to her smell surrounding them. "I was thinking." Annie sat on the edge of the bed to face him. "Troy is going to be coming sometime the day after tomorrow. From what I know, he doesn't really have anywhere to stay for right now. Since you are still getting everything together, I wanted to let you and Britta know he can stay with me before you leave."

She smiled. "Thank you. It's really nice to offer up your space."

He shrugged his shoulders. "You guys don't really have room for him."

"Not since Abed decommissioned his blanket fort room."

Jeff laughed. "Overly nostalgic, but hardly practical."

"You're telling me." She sighed.

He walked passed her. "Where should I begin?"

* * *

They moved quietly around the room, packing here and there, tossing a few items. Annie was careful to keep a small distance. After about an hour she pointed to a box high up on a shelf in her closet. "Could you grab that for me?"

He reached up with little effort and pulled it down. "What's this?"

"A few Greendale souvenirs."

"Ah." He inspected the box, before his face quickly went agape. "Jesus, Annie." He pulled out a gun. She simply giggled. "I hardly think the glock sitting in your closet is funny."

She laughed harder. "Jeff, it's a prop."

"What?"

She grabbed it from him. Her cheeks were red and sore from the laughter. "Doesn't it look familiar?"

He looked at it in her hands. "Annie the thief strikes again."

"Oh, please." She scoffed. "I doubt Professor Garrity has even noticed it is missing."

"The school does have a disturbing amount of prop guns." He agreed.

"Maybe you could take it back for me." She batted her eyes with a self-aware theatricality. He appreciated the homage. "I completely forgot I even took it."

"Not one of our best moments." He teased.

"Says you." She caressed the gun with a mesmerizing fondness. "I wanted to remember it." She finally looked up. "As far as our constant quests of delving into the ridiculous, it's one of my favorites. I don't think I've ever been so scared." She grinned contradictorily. "It was so much fun."

"You really are a weird one, Annie Edison." He radiated a soft volume of warmth. He slowly pulled the gun from her hands, remembering that crazy day. He had more fun than he had ever known possible. He relived the chases, the tackles and mock gunshots all fueled by their juvenile and stubborn conspiracies. He'd only ever had that much fun with her. "You had said something really interesting that day."

She could taste the meaning in his words, recalling the ones she now meant in her heart. "According to Garrity, I said quite a few interesting things that day. He tried to get me to join his theater troupe." Jeff was still standing too close to her and she knew that soon he might lean in, or even worse, she would. "I'm happy I didn't, otherwise I might not be moving to D.C." She spoke purposefully. He looked at her even closer, intent still beaming in his eyes.

All he wanted desperately in that moment was to kiss her again, just once more. "Doesn't seem like the worst thing in the world." He tried to sound casual and playful, but the low whisper of his voice caught her attention. All he needed to do was lean in, just a little. She was so close to him and he knew she wouldn't be for much longer.

"Jeff." Her soft voice rang out clearly as if she had yelled, before whispering so quietly he barely caught it. "This is already too hard." She didn't want to make it any harder, kissing him, touching him; it was all a trap she couldn't afford. Looking down, she cleared her throat. "Britta should be home soon. I think it's best if you leave."

He looked beside her to the digital clock, reading 9:22. They both knew Britta wouldn't be off for more than an hour. He pulled in a sudden breath and nodded though she still wasn't looking at him. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

She shook her head, looking at a small hairpin in her hands. "No, I promised my brother I would spend the day with him. Sorry." She lied, staring at her fingers, not able to see him.

"Right." He stepped back. "I guess I'll see you at the bar on Saturday."

She nodded; embarrassed that she couldn't muster the strength to look up. She would kiss him, she knew she would. He left without another word. Annie stood still in that spot for too long, clinging to the fading warmth that he had left behind. Once it was gone, she breathed and lifted her head. She had made the right choice, even if not a single fraction of her being agreed with it.


	6. Bon VoyageWelcome Home

**CHAPTER 6: BON VOYAGE/WELCOME HOME**

Jeff parked and walked to the door of the Hawthorne mansion. It was eerie being back after so long. The doorbell sounded and even with the front entrance still shut, he could hear its echo. A second later Troy opened the door.

His smile was small, but heavy. Jeff guessed the change was caused by exhaustion, something he could see masking his usually bright eyes. The younger man hardly resembled himself from 2 years prior. His hair had grown a little, though it was his facial hair that caught Jeff's attention. He had never known Troy to be anything but clean shaven. Although it wasn't quite a fully grown beard, it made the 26 year old man finally look his age, if not older.

Troy leaned in giving Jeff an eager hug like he had countless times before, though the enthusiasm was finally deserved after nearly two years of not seeing each other. "Hey, Jeff." His voice rang a little deeper than Jeff remembered.

"Hey, Troy." He acknowledged, patting his shoulder.

"Want to come in?"

Jeff looked behind Troy to a vacant hallway he remembered running and screaming down 3 years before. "I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you."

He just barely smirked knowingly, exhaling a sharp humored breath through his nose. "I get it. Ghosts of Bigot's Past?" He said with a fondness in his voice that undermined the insult.

Jeff shrugged, unable to articulate a better explanation. "Something like that. So," he rubbed his hands together. "Got your stuff?"

He nodded. "Yeah, one sec." He slipped away for a brief moment, returning with two bags and a backpack strapped behind him. He handed one bag to Jeff.

"Sorry you have to stay with me for the next week."

"That's alright." He followed him to the car. "I prefer it to this place." He set his luggage in the backseat, shrugging before he opened his door. "It's too big."

"No argument here." Jeff started the car. "But it's nice that Gilbert offered." They pulled out onto the road.

"Yeah, but he understood when I said I wanted to stay with family."

"Well, we are really happy to have you back."

"Thanks." He nodded, looking at the road. "So, I know I'm a little out of the loop, but didn't Annie already leave for D.C.?"

Jeff quietly sighed. He hadn't been able to fully explain everything to Troy. He cleared his throat, attempting to exude the closest thing to apathy that he could manage. "Yeah, at the beginning of the summer. She got back on Sunday."

"And she's going back next week?"

"She's moving." He answered simply.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

An unfamiliar silence followed them throughout the rest of their drive.

* * *

It was simple and pleasant, just as Britta had planned and Jeff tried his hardest to smile the entire time. She worked the first half hour of the get-together, shouting and hooting with her friends as if she wasn't on the clock, going as far as to provoke Troy to take a shot of tequila with her before he nursed a Corona.

When introduced to Troy, Frankie offered a polite 'running for Congress' kind of smile and shook his hand. "Ah, the infamous Troy."

He laughed. "I'm guessing you've heard of me."

She smiled softer now, giving a brief nod. "Your friends speak very highly of you." She cleared her throat. "To the point of obsession." He laughed. "No, seriously, are you aware of it?"

The familiar shine in his eyes briefly returned. "Yeah, we're all kind of obsessed with each other." He sipped his beer.

"So I've noticed." She smirked. "You know, I took up steel drums."

"Okay?" Troy looked at her awkwardly, the confusion spilling across his face.

"I'm actually pretty good." She sipped her martini again. "So what made you decide to start playing?"

Having heard the last part of their conversation, Jeff appeared beside them, wrapping his arm around Troy's shoulder. "Sorry to steal him away Frankie, but Chang is dying to see his best bud."

The only reply that came was a high-pitched, 'What?' delivered by Troy, before Jeff snagged him. As soon as they were far enough away that Frankie couldn't hear them, Troy turned on Jeff. "You are lucky Abed isn't here to witness such blaspheming."

He herded him into a corner. "I know, I know. Look, I forgot to tell you; Frankie thinks you play steel drums."

"Why?"

"Because I told her that you do."

"Again, why?"

"To get her to start playing them."

"What a complex web you weave." He patted Jeff on the shoulder as he walked to the table and sat down across from Chang.

Annie walked in, her head down as she slipped her I.D. into her purse. Her hair was up in a clip with curled tendrils tickling the frame of her face. His breath hitched painfully in his throat and not just because she was the simplest depiction of beauty in her white, daisy-patterned, knee-length dress and classic white heels; it was seeing her, dressed so softly, looking like a thousand of his favorite memories and standing beneath a 'Bon Voyage Annie' banner. He was about to lose her all over again and so soon.

When she walked into the bar, Annie found herself looking for him. Unfortunately she found him too quickly and their eyes met for a stunted millisecond of uncomfortable longing. She allowed herself one brief moment of wishing that she hadn't sent him away the other night, that they had at least spent one more night together, drunk on the idea of those muscled forearms wrapped around her so fully in a way she had only experienced with him. The warmth in his eyes made it harder to ignore. For the first time in her life, she knew undoubtedly that a man wanted her; Jeff wanted her, in more ways than one. She could read it all in his gaze, but it wasn't enough.

So she plastered on a smile and marched over to Troy who stood and gave her a hug. Annie felt those scorching eyes on her, but tried to ignore the heat feathering through her hair, against her neck and down her back.

After everyone had settled with a drink, they all sat down at the oblong concentration of tables that had become their 'spot'. Britta yelled. "Wait." She untied her half-apron, hanging it on a hook. "Don't start without me." She pocketed her measly collection of tips and made herself a drink, quickly running over to the table. Sitting in between Jeff and Chang, she barked. "What did I miss?"

"Well, Ms. Overbearing, before you forbid us from talking, I happened to let a 'Welcome back' slip out."

The blonde scowled at him. "Well, excuse me for wanting to be included instead of playing too cool."

Jeff shook his head, ignoring her jab and turned to look at Troy beside him, doing his absolute best not to notice the demure and devastatingly cheerful Annie who sat next to their newly returned friend. He nudged him. "So, pirates?"

The expression on Frankie's face made it apparent that no one had briefed her on the details of Troy's delayed expedition. He nodded. "Um, yeah. It was interesting, to say the least."

Annie touched his arm. "Are you okay?"

He patted her hand and gave her a wry smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a bunch of irritable thieves looking for some ransom." He sighed.

"And?" The Dean prodded impatiently. Frankie nudged him.

Troy sat back in his chair and gulped his beer. "Well, they recognized LeVar Burton, so they treated us pretty decently. I used my translator to explain that we had no money, but they didn't believe us. So they held us hostage for almost 4 months."

"How'd you escape?" Britta asked, leaning on the edge of her seat.

"We didn't. Gilbert had heard about our captivity and paid a ransom."

"Really? How much?" Frankie muttered. "I'm sorry; that's absolutely none of my business." She sipped her martini and looked utterly embarrassed.

Troy set down his beer. "That's okay. He said they settled at a million."

Almost everyone around the table wanted to call B.S. on such a modest figure for the safe return of a celebrity and a future millionaire. "Gilbert was really nice about it. I told him that I would pay him back after the inheritance comes through." The look his audience shared around the tables was pure disbelief. Gilbert had definitely paid more than a million and from the sound of Troy, he knew it too.

Britta smiled. "So, when is that supposed to happen, Richie Rich?" She teased.

His lip quirked in a close-mouthed smile. "The legal process has already begun. First, they are taking a statement from LeVar to make sure I didn't cheat my way through it."

"I can't believe you had to continue your journey." Annie remarked.

"Eh." Troy shrugged. "We were like 75% of the way done. Plus, after everything, it felt like a vacation." He sighed. "The worst part about being kidnapped by pirates," Everyone unconsciously leaned in. "There wasn't a single guy on board with a peg leg and a parrot. There was an angry little guy with an eye-patch though, so it wasn't all bad."

Frankie released an unsure breath that served as a question asking if Troy was being serious. Jeff met her eyes and gave her a brief answering nod. She cleared her throat. "It must've been quite an experience."

Troy nodded. "Why are we still talking about me? This is Annie's going away party. Shouldn't we be talking about that?"

"Oh, we have." Jeff uncharacteristically blurted.

There was a stagnant silence as Jeff immediately latched onto his glass of scotch, gulping greedily to punish himself with the bitter burn. He hated the whiny, telling tone of his voice.

Annie cleared her throat and spoke cheerfully as if Jeff had never opened his mouth. "Oh, please. It's also a welcome home party for you. It seems all I talk about now is how I'm leaving." She waved her hand in utter and complete nonchalance. "I'm going. It's exhilarating and scary, but part of me feels brave." Jeff looked away, staring at the glass of scotch resting in his hand.

Frankie spoke. "You should. What you're doing is admirable and exciting."

Annie genuinely blushed from the praise, turning a crimson rose among daisies. Jeff looked back to her and smiled at her unintentional glow. 'She was something.' He'd always hated that expression; it could literally mean anything and what was so special about 'something'? He used to think it was much too vague to be considered a compliment.

The attention and praise made Annie feel a little shy. "I'd be glad to talk about anything else."

"But the internship." Troy blew out an impressed breath. "I mean, the FBI! Did they make you go undercover? Did you get to slow motion walk to Tom Jones's She's a Lady?"

Annie beamed. "Sadly, no. There were no homages to Miss Congeniality during my internship." She shook her head, the smile from his ridiculous inquiries still clinging to her face.

Chang said something disturbing about if hypothetically she would be able to look the other way if she happened to recognize or know somebody on the most wanted list. It caused a round of nervous laughter that soon turned legitimate. The collective chuckle was loud enough that both the Dean and Britta were able to scoot their chairs almost imperceptibly away from the seemingly 'dormant' and potential criminal.

When Annie's eyes briefly met Jeff's she raised her brow in a silent scold about his outburst. He smiled and nodded, acknowledging his own jackassery. Britta kept encouraging the group to partake in shots. She was vehemently rejected all around, except for by Chang, who already had two mystery shots in front of him.

Annie took a modest sip of her drink. When she set down her glass, a faint blush colored her cheeks. Jeff who wouldn't admit – even to himself – that he was watching her closely, puzzled at the reason behind her bashfulness. It took him a second to understand once he followed her gaze to the orange cocktail in her hand. She was drinking a screwdriver.

There were very few things in Jeff's life that he could recall with absolute clarity months later, but 90% of them revolved around Annie. Of course, he remembered. That was the drink he had made for her the night they slept together – or more accurately, had sex, since she had slipped away in the middle of the night. She hesitantly looked up at him and he knew from the look in her eyes that she was reliving all of it, every touch and kiss.

It was too much for him to think about, to remember. He took a deep breath, knowing that this was going to hurt. Slapping on a fake smile, he looked away. "You know what, Britta's right. Man, do I hate hearing those words come out of my mouth." He laughed. "A dear friend is departing and another returning. If there was ever a time for shots or debauchery in this group, it is now. I say we cue up a montage of everyone getting drunk." He grabbed one of the shots in front of Chang without any warning. "To Annie and Troy." He dumped it down his gullet and immediately regretted not waiting to buy his own shot as he was pretty sure he just inhaled something akin to gasoline.

Britta hit him on the back. "See, Winger's got the right idea. A shot or two of some tequila won't kill anybody."

Annie gave a half-hearted shrug. The only one to oppose the proposition was Frankie, who contentedly drank from her martini, shaking her head, recognizing the night for the intoxicated spectacle that it would no doubt become.

Britta jumped to get a round for the whole table, placing the charge on Winger's tab and feeling pretty self-satisfied with her ability to liven up a party. All in moderation, a shot or two seemed just enough to get things going; no more, no less.

* * *

Jeff awoke with a fuzzy head and lethargic thoughts that came to him weighted and slow as if they had been gently dragged through tar. He searched his pulsing headache for complete memories of the night before and found only vague inclinations of what took place. He lay still, eyes closed in the thankfully dark room, recognizing the sounds of early morning as they pounded into his skull.

Frustrated that he couldn't mute his uncontrollable sense of sound throbbing throughout him, he released a heavy sigh. Its echo sounded beside him. His eyes snapped open, the sudden and jarring movement catching even his hangover off guard as it stuttered and skidded briefly, buffering as his vision came to focus and he identified Annie's serene face next to him. His self-inflicted ailment chose to resume at that same moment. He turned away, lying on his back, the heels of his palms pressed to his temples. They were both fully clothed so he allowed the panic to fade away and he searched for the majority of the night.

 _One shot had become two, which had become three; it was at that point that he lost count. Most of the group followed his example as they often did. Surprisingly enough, it was Annie who trailed him the closest in consumption of alcohol units. Britta's drunk was a rare, stationary kind; always shouting for more shots, but unable to walk to the bar to retrieve them. Troy's was a solitary, contemplative kind soaked in depressed undertones. The Dean was an emotional yet unashamed drunk who wrapped his arms around himself when dancing. Frankie had sipped on no more than 3 martini's the entire night, leaving an hour after her modest buzz had left her, downing two glasses of water for even measure. Chang had vanished before the end of the night; Jeff couldn't decide if his disappearance was fortunate or sinister._

 _Jeff himself spent the whole night beside Annie, sitting, talking and more often than not, dancing. It wasn't like at Garrett's wedding, slow and classic, it was like his first Halloween at Greendale, giddy and vibrant. Each spin had her dress billowing around her like some figurine in a jewelry box. Her smile was bright and distracted, pasted on her face. He remembered her spinning fast and hard into his arms, looking dazzling, like a bittersweet summer farewell._

 _She had pulled away from the intimate touch as if the closeness scorched her. He noticed the bluntness of her escape, but wasn't offended when he realized she was still grinning, although his reaction changed when he interpreted the self-conscious effort behind her eyes. She was, on some level, upset._

 _He felt as if he should just stay quiet, but couldn't stop the concern that spilled from his lips. "Are you okay?"_

 _She shook her head and looked away murmuring, "It's not enough."_

 _"What?"_

 _She snapped her eyes wide open as if awoken from a trance. "Nothing, I'm fine." She smiled and shook her head again. "I just need to, um…" She briefly pointed in the direction of the restrooms and then grabbed some cash from one of the pockets in her dress. Placing the crumpled bill in Jeff's hand, she hummed. "Order me another shot, will ya?" She hurried away, not noticing or simply not acknowledging the liquored glances of admiration that followed her exit._

 _When she returned, there was no trace of her earlier unusual attitude, just a million dollar grin and renewed energy as she dumped down the shot and continued to dance. It was clear to Jeff that whatever bothered her had either passed or was not something she wanted to talk about. Despite his worry, he knew to respect her need for the deflection, especially since he was doing the same thing._

 _When they all left the bar and shared an uber to his apartment, he escorted her directly to his bed, afraid that if he didn't keep an eye on her, she might get sick from alcohol poisoning._

The hangover was bad, but nothing compared to its countless predecessors he had conquered over the duration of the past summer. He knew that the only cure for the sickness in his chest, gut and head was some distance from the snoozing Annie, a ton of aspirin and some cold water. He rolled off the bed as quietly as he could manage (which wasn't much at all); however, she appeared to be enrapt in the coma-like slumber of the drunken, so his lack of stealth seemed thankfully undetected.

* * *

Annie realized she was awake the second she heard the soft click of a door closing, that and also because she desperately wanted to die. Her first conscious breath was so agonizing that she debated on whether or not breathing was necessary or a luxury she could live without. The night before was still coming back in small flashes to cement her mortification.

It was supposed to be a calm night and Annie had been almost content with that, until Jeff began taking shots. Since their mutual decision to 'quit while they were ahead', Annie had been re-thinking and of course overthinking it all. When she had arrived at the bar, she had come to an embarrassing conclusion. She had been so invested that she couldn't see that Jeff wasn't. That night they had spent together hadn't freed him of his doubts, but had instead solidified them. She had tried rejecting that idea, but found it impossible when he kept giving toasts and expressing merriment. Maybe his curiosity for Annie had been quenched; maybe he found it easy to support her because he knew there was no real reason for her to stay.

In all the time she had known Jeff, she had never seen him give up something he really desired. Whenever he let go of something, it was usually because he realized it wasn't what he wanted. It was that thought process that caused her to follow in the reckless behavior; her anger and embarrassment fueled by alcohol. For some reason she couldn't begin to guess at, the booze also stoked her to drag the source of her emotional turmoil and anguish out for a dance, or two, or twelve. When she fell into his arms, he looked so concerned that she knew, despite her own insecurities, that he did care about her as more than just a friend.

That made it all the more painful, because despite everything, his choice was proof that it still wasn't enough, she wasn't enough. She allowed herself one more moment of dwelling in the restroom before promising herself that she would spend the rest of the night smiling. And she had made good on that promise; wearing lighthearted glee hiding the procrastinated pain beneath.

That much she remembered. She breathed shallowly, determined to exert the smallest amount of effort, involving as little of her body as she could. She didn't need to open her eyes to know where she was and she doubted she would be able to. The smell of the room and satin of the sheets afforded her no uncertainty that she was in Jeff's room. The fabric of her dress itched at her knees, but she didn't possess anything in her to alter the situation, not the will, the energy or the capability. It seemed ridiculous that she had made such a big deal about leaving, now that she wouldn't be able to seeing as she was most likely going to die in that bed.

* * *

 ***A/N - Hello boys, girls and everyone in between. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! A/N at the bottom today because I wanted to mention something that takes place during the chapter. There is a much beloved character that may seem slightly different than canon. I bet anyone who reads this knows who I'm talking about. Without spoiling, I just want to say that this was done on purpose. I delve into it a little bit in the next chapter. I hope you have enjoyed it thus far. I can't help but notice how many times, I've written one or multiple hangovers... They do say 'write what you know'. Lol As always, please R &R, it makes the hours of fandom obsessing feel totally worth it. Thanks. -Nikki**


	7. It's Simple in the Stillness

**CHAPTER 7: IT'S SIMPLE IN THE STILLNESS**

Jeff slightly stumbled upon entering his living room and hearing the Banshee cry he soon identified to be Britta's snore. She was sprawled on the couch in what appeared to be the most uncomfortable position. Other than his screeching friend in the throes of hibernation, the apartment seemed to be empty. He grabbed two water bottles from the fridge and escaped onto his balcony, hoping the fluid and cold sunrise would be enough to sober up his mind.

Troy sat on one of the two foldout chairs, staring off into space. There was an air of pensive maturity reflected in his silence that almost disturbed Jeff. He had noticed it just barely the night before, but was able to quickly disregard it amongst the distractions of music, booze and Annie. In the stillness of the unrushed morning, he could see it clear as day; Troy had not returned the same as he had left.

"You trying to escape the resounding war cry?" Troy jumped at the sound of Jeff's voice. The latter nudged his head in the direction of his living room as he closed the sliding glass door behind him.

"I honestly don't remember it being that bad."

"Only when she drinks." The younger nodded in understanding. "So, what aren't you saying?" Troy snapped his eyes toward Jeff as he sat in the chair beside him. "You don't have to answer if you don't want. I just couldn't help but ask. Something's different." Troy looked back to the shy horizon, barely peeking and the silence that sounded back seemed to acknowledge the statement. "Pirates?" He shook his head. "LeVar?"

Troy gave a soft, breathy chuckle. "No, LeVar was awesome."

"What is it? What changed?"

"Do I have to pick just one thing?"

"Anything."

"I don't know. That day I left. I just stopped living the simple Troy Barnes's life."

Jeff handed the second bottle to him, who murmured thanks in response. "Well, you are his clone, so that only seems natural." He joked, sipping his water.

"Sometimes it really feels like that."

"What happened?"

"A lot." He breathed. "It's amazing how much your life changes in a year and a half." He shook his head. "My world used to be so small. It consisted of me, my immediate family, you guys and all of our small, unimportant problems. My view was so limited."

"And now you've seen the light?" Jeff answered both sardonic and forcefully, trying to cut through the severity of the tone with his playful sarcasm. He spared a brief look back into his apartment and thought of the sleeping Annie in his bed. "Yeah, there has been a lot of that lately."

"No." Troy answered a little too strongly. "Now, I've seen the dark, for the first time in my life." Jeff felt trapped in the silence that adopted him following that statement. "Don't get me wrong, I saw some beautiful and thriving places." He sighed. "But I also saw a lot of poverty and starvation. I know Pierce meant for me to experience the majesty in the world, but all I can remember is the pain in it."

He looked back to the beginning of the sunrise. The soft evolving hues bathed his stern expression in a pastel light. "You hear about it all the time and it's so easy to forget, because secretly, we all want to. We're not seeing it and we don't have the money or the influence to change it so we ignore it. Both of those circumstances changed for me because of this trip." He rubbed the top of his head. "It was a lot."

Jeff screwed the top of his bottle back on. "They do say ignorance is bliss."

Troy shook his head again. "Not when you can do something. Knowledge is so much greater if it means you can help someone." He leaned back in his chair.

There was a heavy quiet until Jeff finally had to clear his throat. "So, what are you going to do?"

He shrugged and scratched at his face, the hair his cheeks wore, not quite a beard, but an overgrown, untamed 5 o'clock shadow. "I don't know. Maybe I'll look into charities." He thought for a second. "I could probably start my own even."

Jeff coughed, hoping to interrupt Troy's do-gooder soliloquy. "I was actually talking about Abed. You know, L.A.?"

His face fell. "To be honest, I don't know if I'm ready." His gaze wandered far off. "I'm not me yet." The silence that followed seemed to suggestively ponder if he ever would be again. Jeff understood; Troy had changed so much that it would probably be an unwelcome shock to Abed. He wanted to regain some of his old self before seeing his best friend again. He continued. "I don't know if Abed would want to be friends with this version of me."

Jeff gulped some more water. Troy noticed and followed suit, having forgotten the bottle was in his hands. "Don't be so sure. Abed is all for character growth. He changed after you left too." Troy seemed to consider that. "But it's not like there is any rush. Take some time; go visit family, get reacquainted with Greendale, hell, if you really want to, look into some charities. I think we have a pretty decent potential goodwill ambassador drunkenly sprawled on my couch. Truly the epitome of refined generosity."

Troy laughed, some of his genuine joy peeking back into his eyes. "Yeah, she really proved that last night when she grabbed one pillow and one blanket from the ottoman and stretched out every limb across the couch, barking at me to 'Find my own spot.'"

The older man smiled. "I swear, her consideration is the gift that keeps on giving."

"She knows her way around here pretty well, huh?" It wasn't a judgment, simply an observation.

"Yeah, she and I had a few heavy binges this summer." He smirked fondly.

"Is that starting back up again?"

"God, no! Britta was just busy trying to keep me preoccupied this summer after Annie… and Abed left."

Troy made a knowing sound. "So that was pretty hard for you?" The question was loaded with context.

"Yeah, it was the end of an era. All that was left was me and Britta."

"Hard to believe that was your original goal, huh?"

"A lot changes in six years." He nodded simply. Jeff finished his water bottle and felt his stomach tighten. "Speaking of change," Troy looked back, his attention captured by Jeff's tone. He breathed heavily before continuing. "And since we're speaking in total confidence…" His friend caught on to the pointed request conveyed in the last two words and nodded in case they were meant as a question. "Something happened…"

"Spit it out!" Troy said impatiently, more out of annoyance than anticipation.

"Between Annie and I." There was a brief hush as Jeff allowed himself to feel guilty. He understood the rule of not telling after kissing, but he had to talk to somebody about it and Troy was his friend; he also happened to know both of them and could be honest with him.

The younger man lifted his brows with an unspoken question. Jeff nodded, looking away. "When?"

"The night before she left."

"Are you trying to brag?"

"No, I-"

"I feel like I'm not allowed to ask how it was. I'm correct in that assumption, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"I'm still curious though."

"The fact that I needed to talk to somebody about it, should probably be a sufficient enough answer."

"So you are bragging."

"No-"

"Was this like a one-night stand kind of deal?"

It was quiet for a second before Jeff shook his head. "No. When she announced she was moving for good, we," he sighed, thinking of the best way to continue, ultimately failing. "Kind of shared a moment."

"And?"

"She might have indirectly asked me to go with her to D.C."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"And you said, 'No'?"

"Yeah."

"Because you don't want to go?" Jeff was silent, not sure if he should answer or if he even really knew what it would be. "Because it was moving too fast?" The silence continued and Jeff was starting to feel staggeringly foolish for even bringing it up, if he couldn't summon the honesty to talk about it. "Because you don't want anything serious with her?"

He let out an irritated sigh. "It just would be a total disaster. I don't know why she asked."

"You and Annie, man. I don't get it." Troy sighed and scratched his cheek.

"Exactly." Jeff tried to sound levelheaded, but was thankful to have someone there who could talk him out of overthinking. There was a good chance Annie and he were a complete mistake and he needed to be convinced of that. "We just blew it out of proportion, right; don't you think?"

He shook his head slowly. "No, I mean I don't get it, what's between you. I never have, but it's there. Anyone with eyes can see it." Jeff heaved a sigh. "Whatever you guys have, I've never known; I've never even seen it before."

"Really?"

"I don't think I've ever come close."

"No?"

"You guys just get each other. Before Annie, had you ever experienced anything like it?"

Jeff partially wanted to play dumb and refuse to acknowledge what was apparently the most obvious thing ever. "No, but there weren't a lot of potentials before." He answered begrudgingly.

"Not even Britta?"

Jeff shook his head comically. "Though I could ask you the same thing."

Troy sighed deeply. "Britta and I, we just, I don't know. I think we tried too hard to make it something it wasn't." He looked at his clasped hands and Jeff could see the full extent of how 2 years had changed him, just in his posture alone. "We wanted so badly to make each other the one that we sabotaged what we could've been before we'd even begun." Jeff couldn't help but think it was the polar opposite of his relationship with Annie. "But it was hard not to. We'd already had the foundation as friends and we needed it to be big and perfect for us to risk it. When it wasn't, we just pretended it was. We didn't give it time, but it was easy to give up, especially with the front row seat to what you and Annie effortlessly had and you weren't even together."

Jeff scoffed. "Our thing is not as big a deal as you're making it."

"Easy for you to say, you didn't have to watch it every day."

It wasn't easy for him to say; he might not have had to watch it, but he had to feel it every day and it was a big deal, it was 'The Big Deal', but being honest with himself never seemed to do him any favors. "Do you think it would work now between you two?" Jeff diverted.

"I don't know. I can't speak for Britta, but I've changed a lot, which could be a good thing or it could be a bad thing."

"Is that a question you want answered?"

Troy shook his head with his old familiar smile tugging on his mouth. "You know, I can't really say." The smile started to fade into a more natural expression. "What about you? Do you know what you're going to do?"

He sighed deeply, suddenly feeling his age. "I don't know, it's complicated."

"Oh, boo, Jeff. Boring. Try on a new color." Troy jeered.

Jeff immediately felt the several pegs he had been pushed down, as if he was the dumb kid in his 20's and Troy was the functioning adult man. It was humbling in the worst way. "She terrifies me." He admitted.

Troy laughed. "Pierce once told me that was a blessing."

"Really?" Jeff inquired, wholly intrigued.

"Yeah. He said that the first woman he loved absolutely terrified him; she was ambitious, fearless and everything he wanted to be; so ready to take the world on."

"So why did they divorce?" He was reluctantly enthralled, remembering the man to be addicted to marriage and yet never a romantic.

"Oh, they never got married."

"What?"

"Yeah, they never got married."

"Wow. Really? I mean, it's Pierce, so I just assumed."

Troy laughed. "I know. I did the same thing, but he said that he was so scared of her 'vivacity' that he never asked and it wasn't until years and several wives later that he realized he'd rather be stumbling in the dark, terrified with her, than perfectly content with anybody else." Jeff nodded, understanding the feeling. "Plus, he said she had great 'knockers'."

"Always a man known for his eloquence." There was a brief shared laugh for their late friend.

"Is she worth it? Annie?"

Jeff let out a sound that was somewhere in between a huff and a grunt as he rubbed his face. His hands uttered a textured sound as they pushed against his unshaven jaw. "I'm either too drunk or too hungover to be having this conversation."

"I'd say you're too sober or too stubborn to be having it." Jeff's eyes narrowed as he truly took in Troy, the eternal Man-child no more. "It'd be easier if you were drunk, because you wouldn't have to remember later." He looked back to him. "This kind of stuff scares you and you'd rather avoid it than fess up with any honesty." There was a trace of apathy in the condemnation; Troy didn't care, he wasn't judging him. It was merely an unbiased observation, something Abed would've no doubt expressed had he been there. "Aren't you tired of it yet?"

Jeff hoped the question was rhetorical, because he wasn't sure how he was supposed to respond. After a minute of silence, Troy gulped some water down. "You never answered."

"Answered what?" He asked lamely.

Troy surprised him with a reprisal of his earlier question. "Is she worth the fear?"

He staggered for a second, not prepared. "That's not the point."

Troy shrugged, giving a melancholy half-smile. "Shouldn't it be?" He said as if it was the simplest thing in the world and in that moment it was. He continued, pretending not to notice that his last question had Jeff completely distracted. "In all my time at Greendale, you know what surprised me the most?"

Jeff pulled himself out of his own reverie to articulate some Winger brand sarcasm. "That the Dean still has a job?"

"No." He smiled. "We were standing outside the library as I was about to leave. You told me that you had never left Colorado. I honestly couldn't believe that." He looked at his older, slightly confused friend. "You've never seemed like the type to just stay in one place out of convenience. I couldn't help but wonder if you wanted more." He patted his shoulder. "I think you both have a lot more left to see of the world. It seems pretty lucky that it's something you could do together." He stood and went back into the apartment.

Jeff sat there until the sun raised parallel to his eye line, temporarily blinding him. He blinked away the neon spots lingering in his vision, breaking him away from the stillness of the moment. The truth, which Jeff had a hard time admitting, even if it was only to himself, was that few people were lucky to experience and feel what he found with Annie; he knew that for certain in his gut. To give all that up for a geographic obstacle seemed more than just silly and stupid, it was honestly unforgivable.

* * *

 ***A/N - Hello boys, girls and everyone in between. I hope no one is angry at me with the evolution of Troy's character. I personally love the silly, immature Troy, but when I decided to bring him back, I just felt that after everything he had seen and how much time had passed, there was no way that he would remain unchanged. Plus, I kind of liked the idea of a slightly serious Troy. Only two more chapters! Yay! I hope you like it so far. As always, please R &R. Thanks. - Nikki **


	8. Resolution

***A/N - Just one more after this. I hope you have enjoyed it thus far. As always, please R &R. - Nikki**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 8: RESOLUTION**

Jeff found his way back into the apartment. The water and cold air had done its part to sober his brain. Troy was now lounging on the recliner with his eyes closed, probably trying to glean some semblance of sleep after the long night. It almost looked as if a small smirk tugged at his mouth.

Jeff ignored the self-satisfied grin and walked to his room with a significant hesitance. He stepped and opened the door as quietly as he could manage, noticing that Annie had not moved an inch. He loved the sight of her sleeping in his bed; and it hit him with sudden clarity that that was really all that mattered. Seeing her in his room cleared that usual weight he felt in his gut; it didn't matter that it was that exact bed, in that same room, in that very apartment, the only thing that counted was that Annie was there. It felt stupid to think he had ever doubted what was right.

He lay down on his back beside her. He tucked his hand beneath his head, elevating his view of her. The motion of the mattress caused her to stir until she fully awoke from the coma caused by her liquor-flavored fun from the night before. She opened her eyes very slowly, as if stalling to meet his gaze.

Jeff smiled and the tension in Annie's face lessened noticeably. "How many casualties?" She asked with what she deemed a voice of death.

He laughed. "Annie, I'm surprised you would even ask. You know, Britta and I are pros which means everyone was left in very capable hands."

"Capable isn't the word I would use to describe two adults who encouraged other adults to overindulge in shots." She smiled. "I don't find that logic very comforting."

"All I'm saying is everybody stayed well within their limits last night. Everyone left safely." He turned to face her, his shoulder bobbing as he shrugged. "At least I think so; Chang disappeared."

"Where is everybody else?"

"Frankie left early. My living room has become a haven for the shitfaced." He sighed. "Although, I kicked the Dean out when he tried to sleep at the foot of the bed."

"He lives right next door!"

"Which I had to remind him of last night when he called me cruel for 'tossing him out onto the street'."

Her eyes widened as if she suddenly remembered something. "What about Troy?"

He smiled despite the sharpness in his eyes at the mention of their nosy friend. "He's out there." Jeff nudged his head towards the living room. "Although, I am not entirely sure he slept."

Annie nodded. "He's a little different, huh?"

"Wiser. He's been through a lot." He absentmindedly pushed a piece of hair off her face. The touch was so gentle Annie felt her whole body relax. "At least this time, I got to wake up next to you."

She smiled shyly and joked. "Was it good for you too?"

He smirked and looked away. "Better." The silence was sweet and short-lived. "Do you know that you snore a little?"

She theatrically gasped. "I do not!"

He laughed and watched her outraged expression with a simmering … something behind his eyes. "It's soft and cute, but it is definitely a snore. It's not constant, just a random little," he snorted and she hid her face in the blanket. "That is of course, when you're not talking."

She scoffed. "Oh, this is getting more and more attractive by the second."

"You have no idea." He wiped at a smudge of mascara underneath her eye.

She laughed. He left his hand on her cheek, which she didn't seem to mind. "See how the reality turns out to be nothing like the expectation."

He shrugged. "Like I said, 'Better'."

Annie cuddled the pillow under her head a little bit tighter, wanting to lean into the feel of his fingers as they lazily played in her hair. Her expression was wary and guarded.

"What?" Jeff asked, clamping down a need to kiss her.

"I'm debating about whether I should get up and face the hangover now or if I should stay here and postpone it."

"You know I'm a firm backer of option B."

"That's because you're just a firm backer of procrastination."

"No. I mean, yes, but that's not why." His hand slipped out of her hair and traced its way down to the dip of her waist. "I like having you right here."

"You do?" He hummed a confirming reply. "Well now, that seems perfectly tragic."

"I know. I thought so too, which is why I think I should tag along to D.C."

She tried to reign in her beaming grin. "Really?"

"Yeah, you know for protection." He said gruffly.

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Jeff, I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, no, I mean for me." Annie laughed. "I could use a FBI-sanctioned bodyguard."

She stretched, looking disappointed. "You weren't supposed to do this here."

"No?" He grinned at the way her voice became high with the stretch.

"No. You were supposed to follow me to the airport, running and calling my name."

He chuckled. "And I'm sure that with all the post-9/11 security measures, no red flags would be raised by the baggage-free passenger running and screaming throughout the airport."

She giggled. "And then if by some miracle, you didn't get tackled and by some other miracle, you caught up to me in time, you would have to give some impromptu yet romantic speech about wanting to stalk me across the country." He barked out a surprised laugh.

"It sounds thoroughly theatrical."

"Yeah, we're looking at Abed to direct." She said, sarcastically all business.

"That seems a good choice." He nodded. "I'm sorry I bungled your big gesture."

Her smile vanished as her eyes grew soft. "I've never needed big gestures; I'm honestly happy with simple declarations. So," She said pointedly before taking a deep breath. "Why the sudden change of heart?" He shrugged and she pushed his shoulder. "Come on. Really?"

He lay flat on his back, looking up at the ceiling, trying to not be bothered by her determined stare in his periphery. "I kind of love you."

Something changed in Annie's expression, he noticed out of the corner of his eye. She touched his chin and made him look at her. "Kind of? That's it?" She grinned.

"You're teasing me."

"It seems only fair that I make you squirm, especially after everything."

Jeff watched her closely. "What?" She laughed self-consciously under his gaze. "Are you freaking out?"

He shook his head, wearing a lazy grin. "No, I'm actually not freaking out, which is enough to make me freak out."

She chimed in laughter. "Oh no, does this mean the old Jeff Winger I know and love is gone forever?"

"The 'Jeff Winger you' what?" His brow mirrored his inflection.

"Yeah, the old Jeff Winger. I'm not sure I even know this guy. Now is the time he would hit me with an old, goody like 'Relationships are complicated, or…"

"And they are." He gently cut her off. "But if there was ever one that I thought was worth the hassle and the complications, this is it."

He could read the amused smile in her eyes. "Is this supposed to make me giddy? In terms of romantic sentiment, you're coming up a little short."

"Okay, how is this for romantic sentiment," he began.

Annie cleared her throat, fidgeted and listened closely, leaning in even closer, preparing herself. "Okay, I'm ready to swoon." She said with a sardonic smirk.

He playfully narrowed his eyes at her. "I have never seriously told a woman that I loved her and I hadn't even been tempted until you."

"Yeah, but you didn't tell me you love me." His brows scrunched in confusion. "Not really. You said, 'kind of'; see, that's cheating." She knew she shouldn't tease him, but he was so out of his element that it was too easy and too much fun.

"So I'm being flagged on a technicality?"

"Um…. Have you met me?"

He leaned in and kissed her softly. When he pulled away, the warmth in his eyes made her feel like melting. "Annie, I have never met anyone in my entire life that I was so determined not to love," she scowled. "And who made it more impossible to do so." He smiled. "I was kidding myself for pretending I could let you walk away without letting it haunt me."

"Really?"

"Are you kidding?" He grabbed her hand. "It can never leave this room, but these past few months, my life consisted of two things. One: Wondering when you would come back. And two: Knowing that if you were here, everything would be vastly better."

Annie smiled wider than she could control. "Easy there, Harlequin Romance. Save something for the honeymoon." She laughed, noticing the frozen expression on his face. "Just joking."

He finally blinked and smiled along with her. "I know." The real reason he stilled wasn't because the notion scared him, but because it didn't, not like it should've, not like it used to. He knew it was ridiculous to be surprised, especially considering what had went through his head the night she announced she was interning at the FBI. Part of him had just assumed he was panicking because the only woman he saw himself wanting that future with was leaving, he never could've imagined that in some way he was actually ready for it; settling down with Annie. It almost seemed comical, but he knew that it was his end goal.

"What about you?" Jeff asked.

"What about me?"

"You're the one who wanted me to come to D.C. and you're the one who came here the night before you left; so, after everything…" His voice faded.

"What?" She watched him squirm for a second, before realizing what he wanted from her. Even with everything they had been through together, she felt more bashful than she could ever recall feeling. She reached a hand out to touch his handsome face that both melted and infuriated her. Leaning in, Annie brought her lips right up against his ear. She felt his body still as if her breath was tickling him. Like a wispy, long overdue kiss, her voice whispered. "I love you, Jeff."

He felt the tension in his gut disintegrate. After a second of waiting for her to pull back, he moved his head away and smiled at the obvious blush she wore. He laughed. "Do either one of us really know how to do this?"

"Do what?"

"Be in an adult relationship."

"I think you have more experience being an adult, while I have more experience being in a relationship."

He mock laughed at the jibe towards his age. "I don't think that's saying much for either of us."

She shrugged. "Maybe we're supposed to learn together; you know, teach each other."

He grinned. "I'm not the best teacher."

"Oh Jeff, you don't have to tell me." She brightened. "You forget I took your class."

He didn't even try to hide his laugh, because he knew she was right. He really sucked at his job, but this time around, he felt excited to really try at something; especially when being with Annie was the incentive.

"I rescind my earlier offer."

She watched him closely. "What do you mean?"

He shook his head with playful disappointment. "I don't think Troy can stay here." She broke into a smile. "I'm going to be super busy, what with getting ready to move and all. I would be a terrible host."

"Even more so than usual." She nodded in agreement.

"I resent that." He claimed before purposefully avoiding her eyes. "I was thinking; I'm not too good when it comes to making lists and getting organized, so I'm going to need your help."

"Naturally." She confirmed with a grin.

"So, we're agreed?" She nodded, having no qualms about helping her new boyfriend. "You'll stay here for the next week."

"What?" She blurted.

He had to thwart a laugh at her transparent reaction of complete surprise. "I'm going to need your help every step of the process. It just makes more sense to have you stay here. It saves time." He reasoned.

"Is that the other reason Troy can't stay here?" She subtly smirked.

"Honestly, Annie. You make it sound like I'm scheming. It works out better this way." He oozed.

She knew she could easily argue with or tease him, but decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth. "Okay." She said simply with a soft smile.

* * *

Jeff looked at Annie's perfectly sketched out schedule of tasks they would be fulfilling during her last week home. It was all in an effort to get him ready to move. "I feel a little bad." He confessed.

She turned to face him. "Why?"

"You worked really hard to get everything done in the first week so you could relax, but now you're helping me."

She laughed. "Are you kidding? This is like a win/win/win for me. I get to organize, you're making the biggest romantic gesture I could ever dream of by doing this for me and I get to spend this last week doing exactly what I planned, spending it with the people I love." She smiled as he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"So, what's first?"

She reluctantly looked back to the list. "Well, we've already finished making the list." He nodded. "And item #1 starts tomorrow." Her inflection changed as if leading to something.

"So, we've already earned a break?"

"I wouldn't exactly say that." She purred as she draped herself over his lap.

"Oh, really?" He grinned, placing his hands on her hips.

"Before we can even start going down the list, we have to do the most important thing."

"What's that?"

"Give this place a proper send off." She smirked sensually before kissing him.

* * *

Annie was supposed to be leaving in two days and everything had happened so fast, Britta couldn't help but feel victimized by the whiplash of it all. They had announced Jeff's impending departure that same morning they all awoke from their related hangovers. Troy didn't even feign surprise, which bothered her, because he was the last one who should've been caught up on everything that had happened. There were some congrats, before Britta barked that she refused to throw another 'Bon Voyage' party, justifying that technically he was piggybacking on Annie's departure. He had sarcastically complained that there was no way he could feel closure in the move without a banner for him too, which resulted in her socking him until he had dead arm.

They sat at lunch. Everything was ready and Annie was taking a break from helping Jeff to spend an afternoon with Britta. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, I'm happy for you and all, but you know you can do better than Jeff, right?" Annie just laughed. The certainty in her eyes made Britta curious enough to ask a question she'd wanted to many times over the years. "Why him?" The smiled slipped from Annie's lips, never leaving her eyes. "Don't get me wrong, he's my friend, but I just don't get it. Why Jeff?"

"It's a million little things." She said evenly. It was his humor and wit, the way he tried to seem stronger than he really was, how he cared so deeply about the people in his life. She told her the oldest reason she could recall. "He defended me against Simmons." It had been six years, but she had never forgotten the way he shrugged off their opponent's insults towards him, only jumping to defend her. It was the first time she had realized that there was a very real kindness in him, no matter how much he wanted to hide it.

"That's it?" The blonde asked transparently flabbergasted.

"It was more than enough." It wasn't just who he was or what he'd been through, so much of it had been the times they shared together and moments that only transpired between them. It all added up to the way she felt about Jeff.


	9. Coming Home

***A/N - Final chapter! Being completely honest, there were a few points that I wish I could've elaborated on, but once I realized that they would take me off the main story I decided to move beyond them. Despite how long this one took me, I really did enjoy writing it and I'm happy that my _Saying Goodbye_ vignettes could finally come full circle with a more complete ending. I hope you liked it. As always please R&R. Thanks - Nikki**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 9: COMING HOME**

Driving home from dropping Annie off at the airport, Jeff felt lightness in his chest he hadn't remembered feeling nearly four months before. This time, he knew with an absolute certainty, not a hope or a desire, that he would see her again and soon. It had all been so hectic and dare he think, naïve, but he was happy. This was what a hopeless teenager felt like and he didn't mind it one bit, even if people were also treating him like one. The only difference was that he had lived long enough to know that the experiences he had had before meeting Annie, made him all the more sure that she was the one. He wasn't moving to be with his first girlfriend, but something told him he was definitely moving to be with his last. It was the only time being foolish seemed more a blessing than a flaw.

Britta entered Jeff's apartment with a lazy sag in her posture and movement. She wagged a small bottle of Fireball with a grin. "Britta, I'm worried about you. Should I call Annie back for an intervention before her flight takes off?" He condescended.

"Oh, spare me, Winger. That's rich coming from you." He could only nod. "I'm stuck here helping you pack; which by the way, is going to be agonizingly boring. So, excuse me for attempting to make this fun for us."

"I'm just wary of a hangover later."

"Why?" She laughed. "This is our last chance to participate in a much practiced tradition."

"Not our 'last chance'."

"You're right." She sarcastically heaved. "I do have a lot of bartender type business in D.C. I'm sure we'll see each other very soon."

He inspected her for a second. "If I didn't know better, Britta, I'd say you're going to miss me."

"Thank goodness you know better then."

"I'm not so sure. I'm really not that bright." He smirked.

"Shut up." She reluctantly grinned. "Look, I'm not saying that I'm going to miss you, but…" she inhaled sharply. "I have been around the world and I have had amazing moments in new places with complete strangers and still these past few years have been the best time of my life. So, although it pains me to say it, thank you." Jeff stared back blankly, completely caught off guard by her sincerity, until she continued. "Although it wasn't your original intention, you're the reason this happened, the reason all of us came together and it was kind of amazing while it lasted."

"Um…" he offered lamely. "You're welcome."

"Though I deserve thanks as well, maybe even more so."

"How do you figure?"

"You started this because of me and I invited Abed, who brought everyone else."

"True." He nodded. "Thank you."

She bobbed her head, clearly uncomfortable with the sentimentality. "Ugh, whatever." She poured and quickly threw down a shot.

"It's a good thing you brought your Epipen to battle that lethal emotional allergy of yours." He nudged his head towards the shot glass and Fireball.

"Again, rich coming from you." He handed her a roll of tape. "Ugh, why couldn't your girlfriend stay and help with this?" She teased.

Jeff tried to unscrew the grin that had found its way to his face. "Annie already helped me with the majority; she couldn't delay her flight any longer. She has orientation on Monday." Britta groaned, dropping to the floor where she began packing up CDs. "So is Troy coming?"

"He has to go speak to some lawyers and then he promised to have dinner with his folks. He said he'll come join us if we're still working." She answered absentmindedly, inspecting his CDs. "You know, the fact that you still have a CD collection seriously dates you."

"Hey, go easy on me. I haven't had a lot of notice to go through stuff."

"You don't say?"

"A lot of those CDs have sentimental value." He wrapped a plate in tissue paper.

"Oh, I bet." The humor had only grown in her voice. "Nothing titillates my sense of emotional nostalgia like Wake Me Up Before You Go Go." She grinned evilly as his back stilled and tensed in the kitchen. He turned slowly. She punctuated each word. "What. The. Hell?" She held up the Wham! CD.

"It's-" He stammered.

"It doesn't matter what fake defense you come up with. It's too late. I now know that you like Wham!" Her voice condemned him.

He straightened, feigning confidence. "I owe you no explanation."

"Which is probably the safest one to go with."

"Hey." He barked. "Don't Britta our last night hanging out."

She scoffed. "On second thought, I am definitely not going to miss you."

"Ha! You already said you weren't." He patronizingly shook his head, clicking his tongue in mock sympathy. "How is poor Britta going to survive without her best friend?"

"You know, I really don't know what Annie sees in you." She hissed and he couldn't help but wonder the same thing.

* * *

Britta and Jeff stood in the living room looking at the entirety of his belongings, packed neatly. "Wow, that's everything. This is you." She simplified and he caught on to the double meaning/jab behind her words. "What an ordeal to have to pack up your life."

"Not if it means spending it with someone." The moment the words left his mouth he briefly stilled before shuddering. He could see Britta slowly turning her head to glare at him. "On second thought…" He yanked the Fireball out of her hands, unscrewing the top and taking a hefty chug. "Ugh."

"My sentiments exactly." She pretended to gag.

"I know." He sat on the couch. "I keep saying shit like that. I can't help it."

"Please try."

"I don't know." He shrugged. "I guess I'm just happy."

"Ooh, you're in love with her." She teased.

"Yeah, what's new?" He answered anticlimactically. Her mouth went agape at the pure unembarrassed, unWinger-like honesty. He looked at her shocked expression. "Oh, please don't try to make this some big epiphany. It was obvious. It's why I'm doing all this."

"But still…" She stammered. This was a big deal.

"Yeah, still." He smiled gently, looking more mature than Britta had ever thought possible.

"Are you excited?"

"Actually, yeah."

"So, what's the plan when you get there?"

"Well, I already have a couple of interviews set up so that's something."

"You're not worried about the 4 year gap on your resume?"

"Not really, not with my glowing reference from the Dean of an accredited…" his inflection posed a question of legitimacy about his workplace. Britta shrugged and nodded as if to say 'sure, why not?' "College, where I was both a student and a teacher."

"How much did that cost you?"

"A really nice lunch and a really, really nice shopping spree."

"So, a date? It cost you a date." She simplified.

"No, there was nothing romantic about it. Just business."

"Still kind of sounds like a date to me." She badgered. "Poor Jeff, so desperate he had to become an escort. Just remember what Kit says, 'No kissing on the lips.' Don't worry, I know someday you'll find your Richard Gere."

"Ha ha, I'm a prostitute. How hysterical."

She grinned. "I think so."

"Anyway, I'm going to put my stuff in storage and crash with Annie until I find my own place."

"And that doesn't bother her roommate?"

"No, Annie said she's pretty cool. As long as I clean up after myself and keep it down on weeknights, she doesn't care."

"So," she smirked. "Does this mean you two are living together?"

"Not quite yet." He replied simply. "I think its best Annie stays closer to school right now."

"How are you so calm and cavalier about all of this?"

He sighed. "Look, I knew what this decision would mean the second she brought it up. I knew it would mean skipping through a lot of the early steps of a relationship, but we've known each other so long, that without realizing it, we already shot passed those steps. We know who the other person is and how we feel about each other. We know where we want this to go. At this point, what more do we need?"

"I can't tell if you're being annoyingly pragmatic or uncharacteristically romantic." She scowled.

"Have fun trying to figure it out." He chuckled. "Once you do, let me in on it too."

That response alone answered the question for her, but she smiled, deciding to keep it to herself.

"So, you're not going to say anything about how this is reckless or overly optimistic?"

Britta smiled sourly. "You forgot silly."

"Silly, of course. That goes without saying." He nodded. "Naturally."

"It is. What you're doing is the essence of gullibility and honestly, it makes me like you ten times more." Jeff looked at her puzzled. "Look, you are one of the most cynical, selfish and practical assholes I know." She breathed. "But I don't know, seeing you willing to put all that crap aside to trying something so idealistic and hopeful to prove how much she means to you, it's like," she waved her hands in the air as if she could pluck the perfect analogy that was eluding her. "Watching the Grinch's heart grow 3 sizes." He laughed. "No, really. It's almost like a confirmation that we were all right to not give up hope that someday you might try to establish some substance. It validates how much Annie wanted to believe in you long after the rest of us gave up." She shrugged. "I don't think there is a single person who could feel that strongly about you, despite their better judgment."

He wanted to pretend to be offended, but he knew she was right. The craziest thing about all of it, wasn't just that he found the one person who could truly love him in spite of his countless faults, but that he had found that in the only person he could ever see himself wanting and loving just as much, if not more.

* * *

Annie distractedly answered the door. Her hair was wisped up into a messy bun. She stood tall in her sweats, dressed comfortably but unable to shrug off her precise posture. She turned to see him standing before her and the genuine smile that erupted on her face made him feel ridiculously adored. She jumped into his unexpected arms that caught her by pure reflex alone.

"What are you doing here? I didn't expect you for nearly a week." She blocked his reply by kissing him.

When she pulled away, he offered a weak smile, completely out of breath. He inhaled steadily. "I put some friends to work." He smirked. "And Troy offered to lend the private plane he inherited, which I have to admit made air travel much more bearable."

"Jealous."

"Right?" He smiled. "I thought it would be fun to surprise you."

"I'm so happy you're here." She pecked him on the lips and finally slipped out of his arms. Grabbing his hand, she called into the apartment. "Babs, you've got to come meet my boyfriend."

He grinned, another, more embarrassing reflex. If this was what coming home to Annie was going to be like, it was more than worth the hassle. She yanked him through the front door, leaving it wide open with his bags sitting beside it.

For a brief second it all seemed surreal. His life had changed so much in the past few weeks that nothing, save for one aspect, remained unchanged; his feelings for Annie. As it all stood, he was unemployed and technically homeless, but not without hope. He was starting anew for her and although it was exciting, it was also terrifying, risky and a little bit miserable, but only the right kind.

* * *

 ***A/N - Yay! The End. I just want to reiterate that although I have a few fanfics I am going to be posting in the next couple months, I will be taking a break from Community (Milady/Milord) fics. It's important to me that I can keep telling different stories of them that are fresh and original, so I want to give myself some time before I head back into this particular fandom. I'm going to be working on and posting mostly from the countless fandoms/pairings mentioned in my profile. If any of those interest you, I hope you'll give them a read, if not, I get it and hope to hear from you again once I come back to Jeff & Annie. Thank you so much for reading. - Nikki**


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